A 19-year-old woman filed a complaint against her boyfriend after he hugged and kissed her, but later refused to marry her. The Madras High Court has dismissed the criminal case against the 21-year-old man, stating that such acts between young couples in love are natural and do not amount to a crime.
The case relates to an incident in November 2022, when the couple met and spent time together from 9 PM to midnight. During this meeting, the boy reportedly hugged and kissed the girl. The girl later told her parents about the relationship and asked the boy to marry her. When he refused and began avoiding her, she filed a complaint.
The boy was charged under Section 354-A(1)(i) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with physical contact and advances involving unwanted and explicit sexual acts.
However, Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court observed that hugging and kissing between teenage lovers is common and does not qualify as a criminal act under this law. He explained that the section applies only when there is unwelcome physical contact with a sexual intent.
The judge noted that continuing the case would be a misuse of the legal system. As a result, the Court accepted the boy’s plea and quashed the charges.
This judgment reinforces that not all physical contact between consenting young adults in a relationship should be seen as criminal behavior.
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