High Court Quashes FIR: Mutual Consent vs. Criminal Offense

The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR against a man accused of rape after finding that the relationship was consensual. Justice M Nagaprasanna emphasized that mutual relationships cannot be criminalized without clear evidence. The court found inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence leading to the ruling in favor of the accused.

The Karnataka High Court has ruled in favor of a 23-year-old man accused of rape, quashing the FIR against him. Justice M Nagaprasanna highlighted that relationships formed by mutual consent cannot be transformed into criminal offenses except in unequivocal cases.

The case arose after the accused met the complainant via a dating app, maintaining contact for over a year. After a personal encounter on August 11, 2024, which ended in physical intimacy, a complaint of rape was lodged by the woman following a medical examination.

The petitioner presented evidence of a consensual relationship through photos and chats, asserting that these were omitted by the investigator. The court, after reviewing the evidence, found no substantial grounds for the continuation of the prosecution and closed the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)