Karnataka High Court Dismisses Rape Case: Dating App Relationship Deemed Consensual

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a rape case against a 23-year-old man who was accused by a woman he met on a dating app, ruling that their interactions were consensual in nature.

Justice M Nagaprasanna emphasized in his judgment that a relationship based on mutual consent cannot be transformed into a criminal offense except in the most evident cases of wrongdoing.

The court noted, "A relationship born of mutual volition, even if it founders in disappointment, cannot, save in the clearest of cases, be transmuted into an offense under the criminal law."

According to case details, the accused and the complainant initially connected through a dating app and maintained regular communication via Instagram for over a year. On August 11, 2024, they met in person, had a meal together, and subsequently went to a hotel where they allegedly engaged in intimate relations. The following day, the man drove the woman back to her residence.

The woman later visited a hospital for a medical examination, where she was reportedly informed she had been sexually assaulted. This led to her filing a police complaint, resulting in the registration of an FIR under section 64 (rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the subsequent arrest of the accused.

In his petition to quash the case, the man presented evidence including photos, chats, and videos that he claimed clearly demonstrated their relationship was consensual. He further alleged that the investigating officer had deliberately excluded these crucial details from the chargesheet.

While the State prosecution opposed the petition, arguing that the question of consent should be determined during a full trial, Justice Nagaprasanna examined the complaint, chargesheet, and communication records submitted to the court.

The judge observed that while the messages exchanged between the parties "are not in good taste," they nevertheless made it evident that the acts were consensual in nature.

The court concluded, "If the present prosecution were permitted to meander into a trial, it would be nothing but a ritualistic procession towards miscarriage of justice and indeed become an abuse of the process of law."

Based on these findings, the High Court quashed the FIR against the petitioner, effectively canceling the rape case against him.