New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman in a long-term live-in relationship cannot later claim she was forced into a physical relationship under the false promise of marriage to file rape charges against her partner.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made these observations while quashing criminal proceedings against a bank official accused of rape by his live-in partner.
No Element of Force in 16-Year Relationship, Says Court
The case in question was of a bank manager who was charged by his live-in partner of 16 years, a lecturer, of rape by saying that he established sexual relations with her over fake promise of marriage. The Supreme Court bench quashed the criminal proceedings against the man, saying that both the parties were well-educated and were in a consensual relationship.
The court emphasized that both individuals were well-educated, willingly maintained a consensual relationship, and frequently visited each other’s residences despite living in different towns. The judges ruled that the case reflected either a failed love affair or a live-in relationship that had turned sour, rather than a case of sexual exploitation.
Supreme Court has ruled that a woman may not be able to accuse a man of forcing sexual relations on her through a promise of marriage if the two were in a long-term live-in relationship. The man can’t be charged for rape if the couple was living together for a long period of time, the top court ruled, saying that in such cases, it is hard to determine whether the reason behind the sexual relations was just the promise of marriage, said the judgement.
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