A Delhi court has instructed the Delhi Police to initiate legal proceedings against a woman for lodging a false rape complaint, emphasizing that the special protections afforded to women should not be misused to settle personal grievances.
Additional Sessions Judge Shefali Barnala Tandon stressed that such false accusations can ruin the life, reputation, and social standing of the accused.
The court’s directive came while hearing the bail application of the accused man.
According to the court, an FIR was filed against the man on July 14. However, the next day, the complainant stated before a magistrate that she had willingly gone to a hotel with the accused, where they engaged in consensual sexual relations. Following an argument with the accused, she called the police and falsely accused him of rape in a fit of rage.
In its order dated July 25, the court highlighted that the complainant reiterated these facts during the hearing, leading to the man being granted bail. “The men of our country have equal rights and protection under the law as enshrined in the Constitution, however, special privilege is given to the women. But this special privilege and woman-protecting laws should not be made a sword to settle scores or to satisfy ulterior motives, which is going rampant in society,” the court remarked.
The court noted that false rape allegations are becoming increasingly common and such claims not only damage the accused man’s life but also the reputation and social standing of his family. While acknowledging the severity of rape as a crime that destroys the victim’s soul and body, the court warned against the misuse of rape laws for personal vendettas.
“The law has given the remedy of lodging a criminal complaint if a crime is committed against them but such a remedy should not be used as a tool to gratify the complainant’s ulterior motive or to teach a lesson to the accused,” the court stated. It underscored that both men and women are equal pillars of society, and neither should misuse their gender to overpower the other.
The court directed the police to take appropriate legal action against the woman for filing a false complaint out of anger and intoxication, which led to the man’s incarceration for about 10 days. It also advised the police to conduct a preliminary inquiry or investigation before making arrests in such cases, to prevent innocent individuals from being wrongfully imprisoned based on false complaints.
The court ordered a copy of its decision to be sent to the deputy commissioner of police concerned and requested a compliance report within 10 days. Upon granting bail, the court directed the accused to furnish a bail bond and surety bond of ₹20,000 each.
