Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Monday said he had never asked an alleged rapist to marry his victim, and had only asked: “Are you going to marry?” this was neither an order, nor even a suggestion, the judge said.

“We have the highest respect to womanhood. That day we only asked ‘are you going to marry’? We didn’t order. It was not a suggestion also. It was a totally misreported,” Justice Bobde, heading a bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said.

The media had widely quoted last week the CJI heading as having asked the accused, while hearing his application for anticipatory bail: “Are you willing to marry her?”

The remark was widely criticised.

“This court has always have given the largest respect to women,” Chief Justice Bobde said.