Can failed affair lead to rape charges: SC

Looking into the trail of cases, wherein the women have used rape as "a weapon for vengeance and vendetta" to harass and even force a man to marry, the Supreme Court has asked a question raising a doubt on a failed consensual relationship between adults lead to filing of rape charges against the man.

Last year, the Delhi HC noticed the issue and said rape cases were being used as "a weapon for vengeance and vendetta" to harass and even force a man to marry.

The case before the apex court concerned a failed relationship between a top IDFC banker and a former cabin crew member with an international airline. The man said the highly educated and net savvy woman knew all along that he was married with two children and it was impossible to hide his marital status. He said he could not have induced sexual relationship on the promise of marriage.

The woman in her complaint accused him of sexually abusing her on the promise of marriage and threatening to circulate an indecent video of her prepared by him.

A vacation bench of Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice SK Singh asked: "Why did you take the indecent photograph? You say it was a selfie. Is it possible to take selfie of a whole body?

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the accused, said: "People get carried away in such relationships. They had a peculiar relationship. The bench asked, "Peculiar? It can be called a cupid relationship not a stupid relationship."

When Luthra said that "breach of promise to marry" was not an ingredient for rape charges, the bench asked: "Where is it held (by a court) that if you had a relationship for two years (with a woman), it becomes rape when it failed?"

It was quite appreciable on the side of the Supreme Court, which has looked into the rising misuse of the rape as a weapon for girls to get the relationship converted into marriage. It can be noticed that though the women protection laws have the noble ideas of their protection, they are being misused as a weapon to get their means served. This hampers the basic goal served by these laws and by the law-makers.

Facing the music: Ankit Tiwari

Bollywood singer Ankit Tiwari, who was arrested last week for allegedly raping a woman, moved a sessions court seeking bail.

Ankit Tiwari, who was remanded in judicial custody by local magistrate, filed the application for bail saying he was being falsely implicated in the case.

The 24-year-old singer said in his complaint that the concerned woman is already married and has a child. He also alleged that there are many contradictions in the complaint lodged by the woman, who is believed to be his girlfriend.

Ankit Tiwari, known for his song ‘Sun Raha Hai Na’ in Bollywood movie ‘Aashiqui 2′, was arrested on May 8 after the woman filed a case in Versova police station accusing him of sexually assaulting her between October 2012 and December 2013 on the promise of marrying her.

Ankit Tiwari’s brother Ankur was also apprehended for allegedly threatening the woman with dire consequences over a period of time if she files complaint in this regard.

Ankit Tiwari was booked under section 376 (punishment for rape), 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage), and section 506 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.

Nirbhaya: a play against violence on women.

WHAT IS NIRBHAYA?

NIRBHAYA was created in response to the violent gang rape and subsequent death of a Delhi medical student Jyoti Singh Pandey in December, 2012. "Nirbhaya" was the name given to Jyoti by the press as she lay fighting for her life in a hospital bed following her assault. It means "fearless."

NIRBHAYA is a play, but it also a call for societal change. In NIRBHAYA the play, the rape and death of Jyoti serves as the catalyst for each performer to bravely come forward and break their silence- recounting their own intimate and personal experiences of sexual and gender-based violence.

NIRBHAYA’S vision is to do nothing less than CHANGE THE WORLD by ending the silence on sexual violence and creating a fear-free society.

NIRBHAYA is written and directed by internationally acclaimed  writer/director Yael Farber, in collaboration with an extraordinary cast and creative team from India.

For more details visit Facebook Page -

www.Facebook.com/nirbhayatheplay

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