Supreme Court Questions Alleged Rape Victim, Cautions Against Physical Contact Before Marriage

New Delhi: During the hearing of a case involving allegations of rape on the pretext of marriage, the Supreme Court posed direct and sharp questions to the female petitioner. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjwal Bhuyan was hearing the accused's bail plea. During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna, who headed the bench, stated that before marriage, a man and a woman are strangers. Therefore, it is incomprehensible that a physical relationship without sufficient information and trust is incomprehensible.

What did the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme Court questioned the female petitioner as to how she, having met the accused through a matrimonial site in 2022, could have accompanied a stranger, first to Delhi and then to Dubai. The court also stated that the physical relationship appeared to be consensual. The petitioner argued that the accused had promised marriage, and the woman went with him on that trust. It was later discovered that the accused was already married in Punjab and had also remarried two years ago.

What about the video?

The Supreme Court asked the female petitioner how she was unaware of the accused's continued videotaping of intimate moments. Justice Nagarathna remarked that the court's views may be conservative, but if a woman is serious about marriage, she should be extremely cautious about engaging in premarital sex. The bench stated that such blind trust in someone is not appropriate.

When the woman's lawyer mentioned the threat of making the video viral, the bench reiterated, "Despite the seriousness of the allegations, our question remains: why did she have premarital physical relations with a stranger?" After a lengthy hearing and no satisfactory answer, the Supreme Court suggested both parties explore the possibility of a mutual settlement. The bench stated that it would not be appropriate to take such cases of consensual relationships to trial and sentencing.