Bombay High Court Quashes 31-year-old Sex Abuse Case Involving 73-year-old Man

The Bombay High Court quashed a sexual abuse case against a 73-year-old man, noting that the 31-year relationship with the complainant was consensual. The court pointed to the long delay in filing the FIR and the complainant's continuous involvement despite knowing the man's marital status.

The Bombay High Court has quashed a sexual abuse case against a 73-year-old man, ruling that the 31-year relationship with the complainant was consensual.

A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Neela Gokhale stated on Wednesday that the FIR's contents 'clearly indicate a consensual relationship.'

The court noted the FIR was filed in 2018, with no explanation for the delay. 'The parties were indulging in a sexual relationship for as many as 31 years. The complainant never mentioned any objection to the relationship,' the court said.

'This is a classic case of a relationship turning sour and subsequently leading to a police complaint,' it added.

The woman alleged that the man had initially forced her into a sexual relationship in 1987, promising to marry her and even treating her as his second wife. She took care of his business when he suffered a heart attack, but their relationship deteriorated in 2017 when her mother fell ill.

Further complications arose when the man refused to marry her and withheld important documents and her 'mangalsutra.' The court observed that the woman was aware of his marital status and continued the relationship despite legal constraints on second marriages.

The bench emphasized that opportunities to break away and file a complaint existed over the past 31 years but were not utilized by the woman.