Overview
- Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma set aside the FIR in Dr Avadesh Kumar v. State (NCT of Delhi) on January 12.
- The court held that educated, independent adults cannot invoke rape provisions to criminalise the mere breakdown of a relationship.
- WhatsApp exchanges reflected mutual affection, continued contact after the alleged incident, no immediate protest or coercion, and no assurance of marriage by the accused.
- Invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were found unsupported, with no caste-based abuse or motive indicated in the verified chats.
- The judgment cautioned that misusing serious penal statutes in private relationship disputes undermines their purpose and burdens the justice system with false or frivolous FIRs.