K'taka HC quashes rape case against man misled by married woman's false profile on dating app
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has quashed a rape case filed against a man by a woman who falsely claimed to be divorced on a dating app. The court observed that a promise of marriage cannot hold legal ground when the complainant is already married.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna delivered the judgement while allowing the petition filed by Akhil Thomas, who was accused under s. 376, 420, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The woman, whom he met on the Bumble app, had portrayed herself as a divorced individual, despite her marriage still being valid.
The petitioner contended that their relationship was consensual and not based on any promise of marriage. He also pointed out that he withdrew from the relationship upon learning about her marital status.
During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel informed the court that she did not wish to pursue the matter further and left the decision to the court. However, the prosecution argued that the petitioner should face a full trial for the alleged offences.
The court noted, “If the complainant was already married and her marriage was subsisting, there cannot be a valid promise of marriage. The other allegations are consensual acts, which do not constitute rape under s. 376 IPC.” It further stated that continuing the proceedings would amount to an abuse of legal process and a miscarriage of justice.
The court quashed the case pending before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.
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Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader assaults blind woman in Church
Jabalpur: Anju Bhargava, vice-president of BJP's Jabalpur city unit, has come under sharp scrutiny, creating the ripples of political controvery in Madhya Pradesh, after a video surfaced online showing her physically assaulting a visually impaired woman inside a church.
The New Indian Express has reported that the said incident reportedly took place on Saturday (20 Dec) at a church in the Hawa Bagh area, which comes under the limits of Gorakhpur police station.
The video footage that has circulated widely on Monday shows Anju Bhargava, assaulting the blind woman in the presence of a police officer. In the video, Bhargava is seen shouting at the woman, twisting her arm and forcibly grabbing her face. The victim can be heard pleading to Bhargava to speak to her rather than resorting to physical violence. Also, we can hear Bhargava screaming, “will be blind in her next birth too”
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According to The Indian Express reports, Bhargava entered the church, with members of several Hindutva affiliated organisations, alleging that the visually impaired children were being forced into religious conversion; But, the students present at the church have flatly denied all the allegations.
An unnamed police officer cited in media reports states that there was no evidence to support claims of forced religious conversion. The incident has since intensified political debate in the state, with opposition parties demanding accountability and action against those involved.
