College Love a Crime? SC Rejects Listening to Just One Gender

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the increasing number of cases of rape being registered in the name of having a relationship by promising marriage. The court said that a situation has arisen that cases are being registered in those relationships which are not reaching the stage of marriage. This is wrong. A situation has arisen that being in a relationship has become a crime. The bench of Justice MM Sundaresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal said that ending of romance or breakup does not mean that the case becomes that of rape. The court said that the way values ​​are changing in society now, we have to understand that breaking of a relationship should not mean a rape case. The court made this comment while hearing the petition of a person who had applied to dismiss the rape case.

No One-Gender Narrative: SC Defends College Relationships

The fiancée had filed a rape case against the man with whom she was engaged but could not get married. The woman claimed that a relationship was made with her by making a false promise of marriage. In this case, senior lawyer Geeta Luthra represented the man, while Madhavi Divan argued on behalf of the woman. While hearing this case, the bench told the woman, 'If you were so innocent, you would not have come to us. You were an adult. It cannot be said that someone fooled you in the name of promising marriage. It has to be said with all due respect that today morality and values ​​have changed. Especially in the younger generation. If we agree with you, then the relationship between a boy and a girl in college will become punishable.'

SC Rejects Listening to Just One Gender

The court said, 'Suppose there is love between two college students. The girl backs off and the boy says that I will marry you next week. Then he does not do so later. Will doing this be considered a crime?' The bench also said that this is a traditional view. In which all expectations are put on men. On this, the woman's lawyer said that this is a case of arranged marriage. Lawyer Madhavi Dewan said, 'In this case, permission to have sex is not a case of free consent. The issue here is that the girl felt that if she does not make her fiancé happy, he will not marry her. Both were engaged. This may be casual sex for the boy, but it was not so with the girl.'

College Love a Crime? SC Rejects Listening to Just One Gender

However, the bench did not agree with this argument. The judges said, tell me whether just not being able to get married should be considered a crime of rape. We cannot see this case in just one way. We do not have attachment to any one gender. I too have a daughter. If she too was in this situation, I would also have seen it in this broader perspective. Now tell me whether this case is made out on the basis of such weak arguments. Justice Bindal said that the complainant knew that this relationship could end. Still they continued the relationship. The court has fixed the next date for hearing the youth's petition.