'Courts Can't Pass Moral Judgments': SC Says Failed Consensual Relationships Don't Automatically Amount To Crime
The Supreme Court has observed that courts cannot pass moral judgments on the personal choices made by consenting adults in relationships, noting that even hurtful or undesirable consequences do not automatically turn such decisions into criminal offences requiring State intervention. A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made the observations while discharging a man from criminal…
The Supreme Court has ruled that courts cannot pass moral judgments on consenting adults' personal choices in relationships, stating that even negative outcomes do not automatically make such decisions criminal offenses. A two-judge Bench emphasized the importance of individual autonomy and freedom of choice, noting that personal decisions can have unforeseen consequences, but those consequences would not turn decisions into crimes.
The Court discharged a man from criminal proceedings related to rape allegations based on false promises of marriage, cheating, and bigamy, as the sexual acts were consensual and the man's withdrawal from the relationship did not meet the criteria for rape under the Indian Penal Code. The Court also cautioned against using criminal law to settle personal scores or coerce individuals, expressing concern over the increasing trend of failed consensual relationships being turned into criminal cases.
The Bench reiterated that criminal proceedings should only be used when there is clear evidence of criminality, and that allegations must be examined on a case-by-case basis rather than relying on moral presumptions or generalizations.
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