MP HC orders rape accused to share passwords of electronic devices, social media accounts while granting anticipatory bail

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered an engineer accused in a rape case to hand over passwords of all his electronic gadgets and social media accounts to police while granting him anticipatory bail, reported TOI.

The single bench of Justice Dev Narayan Mishra also directed the accused to hand over intimate photos of the complainant to her and the investigating agency.

The petition, filed by the man seeking anticipatory bail, stated that the complainant had been in a 'friendly relationship' with the accused since 2006. Both were adults and employed as engineers in different organisations.


The petition stated that the two had consensual relations from 2010 to 2018. However, after 2018, there was no communication between them, and the woman filed a rape complaint at Mahila Thana in Bhopal in December 2024, six years later.

The bail plea was opposed by the complainant and argued that the accused had violated her privacy for 10 years "under the pretence of marriage". The state alleged that he repeatedly promised marriage and shared the woman's objectionable photos with his friends. When he refused to marry her, the woman filed a complaint against him.

The high court noted in its order that the two were in a long-term relationship from 2010 to 2018 when they were employed in different locations, but no privacy violation allegations were made during that time.

Granting the accused anticipatory bail, the bench ordered the applicant to hand over all available documents and intimate photos to the investigating agency and the complainant. Additionally, he has been instructed to provide passwords for all electronic gadgets, like mobile phones.

(With TOI inputs)