Consensual sex with major on promise of marriage not rape: Orissa High Court

Cuttack: Sexual relationship with a woman who has attained the age of majority with a promise to marry does not amount to rape said the Orissa High Court in a judgment.

The Orissa High Court further clarified that if a woman consents to a sexual relationship then the accused cannot be punished for rape.

Justice Sanjeeb Panigrahi delivered the above-said judgment while hearing the matter he held that false promise of marriage amounts to rape appears to be erroneous in the definition of the Section.

The Court heard the matter in which, a youth maintained a physical relationship with a woman on the false pretext of marrying her and fled away. A complaint was filed at Nimapara police station, the accused was arrested and forwarded to court. Later, the accused moved to High Court when his bail petition was rejected by the lower court.