The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently ruled that a married woman cannot claim her consent for a physical relationship was obtained under a false promise of marriage. The court dismissed a rape case filed against a man based on this claim.
Justice Maninder S Bhatti quashed the case, stating that legal precedents do not support such allegations when the complainant is already married. The court referred to previous judgments, emphasizing that a married woman’s consent under these circumstances does not fall under “misconception of fact.”
Case Background
The case involved a married woman who accused a man—who was also married—of rape. She alleged that the accused, a former neighbor, promised to marry her after divorcing his wife. Based on this promise, she engaged in a physical relationship with him. However, he later refused to marry her, stating he could not divorce his wife.
The complainant, who is married to a driver and has two children, claimed she and the accused were in a relationship for three months. She stated that he would visit her whenever her husband was away, leading to multiple instances of sexual relations.
Court’s Observations
After reviewing the woman’s statements, the court determined that her consent was not obtained under deception. The ruling stated:
“It cannot be said that the complainant gave consent under a misconception of fact. Furthermore, the FIR does not contain allegations that the accused pressured the complainant into marriage with a false promise.”
The court also noted that the FIR did not establish a strong case of deception leading to a sexual relationship. It emphasized that such cases should be dismissed early to avoid unnecessary legal trials when the allegations do not indicate an actual offense.
Final Verdict
The High Court ultimately quashed the case, stating that the allegations did not meet the legal definition of obtaining consent under false pretenses.
Case Title: Veerendra Yadav v. State of Madhya Pradesh
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