 "SC quashes rape case against ex-Army officer, says woman accused 8 before")
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a rape case against a former Army officer, ruling that a 16-year-long intimate relationship between him and the complainant indicated there was no element of force, reported NDTV.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta also rejected the woman’s claim that she was coerced into a sexual relationship under a false promise of marriage. The court observed that such an assertion was unreasonable given the length and nature of their relationship, which involved multiple consensual encounters.
Court questions credibility of complaint
The Supreme Court took note of the complainant’s legal history, revealing that she had filed eight separate cases against eight different men on allegations of sexual harassment and rape between 2014 and 2022. The court also pointed out inconsistencies in her statements, such as variations in the spelling of her name and other details, and noted her lack of cooperation with previous investigations.
“The complainant has not cooperated with the investigation and has failed to appear before this court despite being served notice,” the court said.
Dismissing the rape allegation, the top court said, “No reasonable man would accept the version... that the complainant allowed the accused to establish sexual relations with her over a period of 16 years purely under the misconception of marriage