MP High Court Quashes 10-Year Relationship-Based Rape Case

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a rape case filed by a woman against a man with whom she had a consensual relationship for over a decade. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi deemed the case an abuse of legal process, highlighting the consensual nature of their relationship and the legal insufficiency of the charges.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a rape case registered by a woman against a man, stating that their decade-long relationship was consensual. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi, in his July 2 order, described the case as an abuse of legal process.

The court noted that both parties are well-educated and engaged in a consensual relationship over the past 10 years. The case was filed after the man refused to marry the woman, but the court stated this does not constitute rape under Section 375 of the IPC.

Additionally, the court quashed the charge under IPC section 366, which relates to inducing a woman to compel her for marriage. The man was initially booked in November 2021 in Katni district but sought relief from the High Court.

(With inputs from agencies.)