“No Rape Allegation on False Marriage Promise After Long Relationship”: Madhya Pradesh HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that a woman cannot accuse someone of rape on the grounds of a false promise of marriage if the promise was not fulfilled. The court stated, “Understanding whether a promise of marriage is genuine or false does not take ten years.”

During the hearing of a rape case filed three years ago, the High Court observed that at a young age, a couple might genuinely believe they are in love and that their relationship will lead to marriage.

However, if the relationship does not culminate in marriage, the woman cannot then file an FIR claiming rape.

Court’s Remark

With this remark, Justice Sanjay Dwivedi of the High Court quashed the case. The case involved a couple from Katni district who were in a relationship for ten years. When the man allegedly refused to marry, the woman filed a rape complaint against him in 2021.

The accused man challenged the case in the High Court, seeking its dismissal on the grounds that their relationship was consensual. The High Court found that the accused and the complainant had willingly maintained their relationship for ten years.

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