The Delhi High Court has quashed a rape case filed by a 24-year-old woman against a man she was in a relationship with. The court said that failed intimate relationships should not be turned into rape cases as it goes against justice and weakens the purpose of sexual offence laws.
Delhi, 10 Sep 2025
The Delhi High Court has quashed a rape case filed by a 24-year-old woman against a man she was in a relationship with. The court said that failed intimate relationships should not be turned into rape cases as it goes against justice and weakens the purpose of sexual offence laws.
Court's Observations on Consensual Relationships
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that rape laws are meant to protect women from force or tricks against their will. These laws should not be misused when two adults who know what they are doing later break up. The court noted that the woman had willingly continued the relationship even after their families rejected the marriage proposal. The judge said that educated and independent women who stay in relationships with married men cannot later claim they were tricked.
Details of the Case
The woman filed a rape case last year. She said the man made her have physical relations by falsely promising marriage. She claimed he later married someone else. The man was arrested in November. He then asked the high court to cancel the case. He said they got married secretly in January last year. He married another woman later due to family pressure. The police and the woman opposed his request to cancel the case. But the court found that they did get married, as checked by the police.
To allow every failed relationship to be turned into a criminal prosecution for rape would run contrary not only to the constitutional vision of justice but also to the very spirit and purpose of the law on sexual offences
The court's decision highlights the need for careful consideration in cases involving consensual relationships. Follow The Rising News for more verified updates.
Updated 10 Sep 2025, 05:13 IST; source: link
