‘Dangers of dating apps’... Why Karnataka High Court stayed case against man accused of rape

A bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court on December 16 stayed proceedings against a man accused of rape and highlighted the “dangers of dating apps”, according to a report by India Today.

The Case

A 22-year-old was charged with rape based on the complaint of a woman he met on the dating app Bumble, as per the report. The duo chatted on the app and later met at a hotel, where they spent the night.

However, the next day the woman lodged a rape complaint against the accused, it added. Police filed an FIR against the man under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on the woman's complaint.

What Did The Court Say?

In its observations, the bench noted that the complaint did not allege forced sexual acts and said they were consensual. “But the allegation is that the consent for such consensus was taken by force,” the judge said.

It added that the police chargesheet did not account for the petitioner and defendants online chats and raised credibility about the “verbatim” witness statements in the case, the report added.

“This case projects the classic illustration of the dangers of dating applications,” Justice Nagaprasanna said and stayed the proceedings.

According to a report by Bar and Bench, the complainant’s lawyer said her client wished to withdraw the case, and this significantly influenced the court's decision to dismiss the charges under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

What Now?

The HC bench has issued notices to the Karnataka police and directed the Karnataka state government to respond to allegations of a substandard investigation. The defendant's counsel had during the hearing alleged that investigation was conducted “poorly” and the Court took cognizance, as per the report.

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled on December 23.