The Bombay High Court recently stated that rape cases arising from failed adult relationships waste valuable police and court resources. It called for a robust mechanism to impose heavy penalties on individuals who misuse the judicial process.
Justice Pitale highlighted the recurring nature of such cases in urban areas like Mumbai, noting that they waste valuable time that could be better utilized in investigating serious offences.
According to a report of Live Law, “With passage of time, the alleged victim and the accused come together, having resolved their differences and then the victim gives consent for grant of bail and even for quashing of such proceedings. This Court is of the opinion that in such cases a robust mechanism ought to be developed for imposing heavy costs on such individuals who end up wasting the time of the Investigating Authority as well as the Court. In an appropriate case, this Court shall proceed to pass such an order”, the court stated.
The court granted bail to Saket Abhiraj Jha, who was arrested for various alleged offences, including rape, extortion, and defamation under the IPC and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act). The FIR, based on the complainant's statement from November 1, 2023, alleges that in October 2022, Jha forcibly made her drink alcohol and engaged in non-consensual sex, taking nude photos and videos. He allegedly repeated these acts on November 28, 2022, extorted around Rs. 75,000 from her, and posted her mobile number on social media, leading to obscene messages from strangers. The harassment reportedly persisted from October to November 2022.