Karnataka High Court Grants Relief to Man Accused of Rape

A bench of justice led by M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court on December 16 decided to hold a prosecution against a man accused of committing rape. The bench highlighted the “dangers of dating apps”, India Today reported.

What was the case about?

Based on the complaint of a woman, a 22-year-old man was charged with committing a rape. As per the report, they both met via the dating app Bumble. After chatting on the app, the duo met at a hotel and spent the night. On the next day, the woman lodged a rape complaint against the accused where the man was charged under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

What did the court say?

While making observation of the case, the bench said that the complaint didn’t mention forced sexual acts and reiterated that they were consensual. The judge said, “But the allegation is that the consent for such consensus was taken by force.”

It added that the police chargesheet did not take petitioner's as well as defendant’s online chats into consideration.

While giving a stay order on the proceedings, Justice Nagaprasanna said, “This case projects the classic illustration of the dangers of dating applications.”

The complainant's lawyer said that her client has accepted to withdraw the case against the accused, which in turn prompted the court’s to dismiss the charges under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Present Status

During the hearing the defendant's counsel alleged that the investigation was conducted “poorly” for which the court has taken the required action. The HC also issued notices to the Karnataka Police and instructed the state government to explain the lapses during the investigation.