Woman in long-term live-in relationship can't claim rape: Supreme Court

A woman in a long-term live-in relationship may not be able to claim she was forced into physical relations under a false promise of marriage to establish rape charges, the Supreme Court has ruled. The court stated that in such cases, it cannot be conclusively said that physical relations were solely based on the promise of marriage, a TOI report stated.

Court Quashes Rape Charges Against Bank Official

The Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings against a bank official accused of rape by his live-in partner. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rejected the plea of the woman, a lecturer, who claimed she maintained a sexual relationship with the accused for 16 years based on his promise to marry her. The court noted that both individuals were well-educated and maintained a consensual relationship, visiting each other’s residences even when posted in different towns. The court described it as a love affair or a live-in relationship that had soured.

Prolonged Relationship Indicates Consent

The bench observed, "It is hard to believe that the complainant kept on bending to the demands of the appellant for a period of nearly 16 years without raising any protest to any quarter that the appellant was exploiting her sexually under the pretext of a false promise of marriage. The prolonged period of 16 years during which the sexual relations continued unabatedly between the parties, is sufficient to conclude that there was never an element of force or deceit in the relationship."

False Promise Claim Considered Implausible

The court stated that even if a false promise was assumed, the duration of the relationship weakened the complainant’s claim that her consent was based on the belief that the accused would marry her. The ruling emphasised that such claims become implausible when the relationship continues for an extended period.