GUWAHATI: The Allahabad High Court has observed that failed relationships are increasingly being converted into criminal complaints, often driven by emotional fallout rather than genuine legal grievance. The observation was made by Justice Krishan Pahal while granting bail to a 42-year-old man accused of rape by a woman with whom he was in a consensual relationship.
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The recent order from the court stated that the misuse of criminal law, especially in cases involving intimate relationships, reflects changing social dynamics. “It is increasingly observed that personal fallouts and emotional discord are being given a criminal colour,” the court noted, “through the invocation of penal laws, particularly in the aftermath of failed intimate relationships.”
The court further remarked on the declining sanctity of sexual relationships, observing that consensual associations between adults, formed outside the framework of traditional or legally recognised unions, are increasingly common. The victim in this case, approximately 25 years old, had allegedly entered into a consensual relationship with the applicant, knowing about his previous marital history.
Following her complaint, the accused was booked last year on allegations of rape, blackmail and false promise of marriage. The complainant further alleged that the man had recorded their sexual encounter and used it to blackmail her after refusing to marry her. His counsel, however, argued that the relationship was consensual and that the complaint was motivated by emotional reprisal.
The prosecution submitted that the accused, described as a “Casanova”, had multiple marriages and exploited women using his wealth. Statements from other women, including his current wife, were also submitted in support of the complainant’s claims.
Despite these submissions, the court held that the complaint appeared retaliatory in nature. “Not all socially or ethically questionable actions warrant legal intervention,” it stated, adding that law does not enforce all aspects of morality.
Taking note of the delay in filing the FIR, the consensual nature of the relationship, and the deletion of certain IPC sections, the court allowed the bail plea.