The Kerala High Court has challenged the long-held belief that women in India would not make false sexual assault allegations due to societal repercussions. Justice A Badharudeen observed that, in recent years, there has been a rise in cases where false complaints were used as a means to settle personal scores.
The court emphasized that each allegation must be scrutinized independently, rather than assuming its validity based on outdated notions. “For years, it was believed that no woman would falsely accuse a man of sexual assault, fearing damage to her own reputation. However, a shift has occurred, with some cases revealing that such accusations were made without merit, often to exert pressure or fulfill personal demands,” the ruling stated.
This observation came during the hearing of a petition seeking to dismiss rape charges against a man accused of deceiving a woman with a false promise of marriage. The woman, who initially claimed she was assaulted, later expressed no objection to the case being quashed. The prosecution, however, opposed the move, pointing to her original statement indicating a crime had occurred.
The court noted inconsistencies in the case, highlighting a five-year delay in filing the complaint. The woman had approached the police in 2016 but did not pursue the case after the accused assured her of marriage. This delay, along with the lack of contact between the two during the intervening years, led the court to question the authenticity of the allegations.
“When a rape allegation is made based on a promise of marriage, followed by years of inaction and eventual withdrawal, it raises serious doubts,” the court observed. It ultimately ruled that the relationship appeared to be consensual and that the accusations did not hold up under legal scrutiny.
Consequently, all proceedings against the accused were quashed.