'Hard To Believe Well-Placed Woman Got Sexually Assaulted For 16 Years Without Protest,' SC Quashes Rape Case Against Partner

The court also dismissed the woman’s argument that their intimate relationship was based on the man’s unfulfilled promise of marriage, ruling that the prolonged nature of their association contradicted claims of deception or force.

Supreme Court Quashes Rape Case Against Man Booked After 16 Years Of Relationship

On Monday (March 3, 2025), the Supreme Court(SC) quashed criminal proceedings against a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman with whom he had a 16-year consensual relationship, allegedly under a false promise of marriage. The Court emphasised that failing to fulfil a promise of marriage does not amount to rape unless it is proven that the accused never intended to marry the woman from the beginning.

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted that the complainant—a 39-year-old mother of two, estranged from her husband—had previously filed eight other sexual harassment and rape cases against different men between 2014 and 2022. The Court further highlighted inconsistencies in her statements, such as variations in the spelling of her name, and pointed out that she had failed to cooperate with investigations or appear in court despite receiving notices.

The Court stated that the two had engaged in a consensual and intimate relationship for 16 years, which eventually turned sour, prompting the complainant to file an FIR. It ruled that no reasonable person would believe the claim that the woman continued the relationship for such a long period solely under the misconception of marriage, as per Live Law.

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The SC also scrutinised a specific claim in the woman’s complaint, where she alleged that three years into their relationship, the man drugged her and raped her while she was unconscious. The bench questioned the logic behind this allegation, asking why the accused—who had already been in a consensual relationship with her for over three years—would feel the need to spike her drink to engage in sexual relations.

However, what seemed to weigh most in the court’s decision was the timing of the complaint, which was filed only after the woman discovered that the accused was set to marry someone else. The court found her allegations to be riddled with contradictions and highly implausible.

Additionally, the SC criticised the Delhi High Court for not taking timely action when the accused had petitioned for the case to be quashed, implying that the lower court should have intervened earlier.

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The SCruled that, given the nature of the case and the surrounding circumstances, the criminal proceedings against the appellant amounted to an abuse of the legal process. The bench emphasised that this was a clear instance where the High Court should have exercised its inherent powers to quash the case at an earlier stage, preventing unnecessary litigation.

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