Karnataka HC Quashes Rape Case Against Man, Rules Bumble Relationship Was Consensual

The Karnataka High Court quashed a rape case against a 23-year-old, citing consensual relationship evidence from chat records and social media.

In his petition to quash the FIR, the accused argued that the police had disregarded messages, photos, and videos that demonstrated mutual consent.

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The Karnataka High Court has quashed a rape case filed against a 23-year-old man, concluding that the relationship between the accused and the complainant was consensual. The decision, delivered on October 25 by Justice M Nagaprasanna, brought relief to the accused after months of legal uncertainty.

Karnataka HC Quashes Rape Case

The case originated from a complaint filed by a woman who alleged that she had withdrawn her consent for sexual intercourse during an encounter in a hotel room, but the man ignored her objection, as per a report on Bar and Bench. However, the court observed that the evidence, including chat records and social-media exchanges, pointed to a voluntary and ongoing relationship between the two.

According to the order, the pair had met through the dating app Bumble about a year ago and continued communicating over Instagram. As per the police complaint filed on August 13, the woman stated that they met in person on August 11, after which she accused him of rape. A case was subsequently registered under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In his petition to quash the FIR, the accused argued that the police had disregarded messages, photos, and videos that demonstrated mutual consent. He alleged that these records were deliberately omitted from the chargesheet. The State opposed the plea, contending that the question of consent should be determined during trial.

After reviewing the complaint, the chargesheet, and digital evidence, Justice Nagaprasanna held that while the exchanges between the two were “not in good taste,” they clearly indicated consensual sexual activity, as reported by PTI. The court thus ruled that continuing the proceedings would amount to an abuse of legal process and ordered the case to be dismissed.