Karnataka High Court Quashes Rape FIR Against Advocate, Calls Complaint Manipulative and Abuse of Process

The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR for rape registered against an advocate, holding that the complaint bore a strong imprint of manipulation.

The Court observed that the allegations disclosed a consensual relationship between two adults and could not be treated as rape on the ground of an alleged false promise of marriage.

It noted that official records showed the complainant continued to project herself as the wife of her former husband and had children from previous relationships, undermining the credibility of her claims. 

The Court held that the criminal process cannot be used to convert private discord into public prosecution or as a tool of harassment, and quashed the proceedings.