JUDGEMENT

SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J. INDEX TO THE JUDGMENT OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 3 FACTUAL HISTORY OF THE CASE ........................................................ 4 History of Past Police and Judicial Proceedings ........................................... 5 THE RIVAL CONTENTIONS ..................................................................... 8 ISSUE IN DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PROSECUTION AND THE PETITIONER ................................................................................................. 9 ISSUES MANDATING JUDICIAL NOTICE FOR THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY .................................................... 9 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING QUASHING OF FIRs ON THE BASIS OF SETTLEMENT AND THE ROLE OF COURTS .............................. 10 FIRST JUDICIAL ERROR: MECHANICALLY RECORDED STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 164 OF CR.P.C. ................................ 15 SIGNIFICANCE OF RECORDING STATEMENTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS UNDER SECTION 164 OF CR.P.C. .................... 17 Guidelines Apropos Recording of Statement under Section 164 of Cr.P.C.

of sexual assault victims ............................................................................. 21 SECOND JUDICIAL ERROR .................................................................... 25 LOVE, LAW, LIES & LITIGATION ........................................................ 26 Alleged Compromise Deed Executed in 2012 ............................................ 27 Mala Fide on Part of Prosecutrix ................................................................ 28 Conduct of Non-Disclosure of True Facts To The Authorities By The Accused ....................................................................................................... 30 IMPORTANCE OF PARTIES APPROACHING THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM WITH CLEAN HANDS ............................................................. 31 NO DOCUMENT TO SHOW THAT MS. M HAD OBTAINED DIVORCE FROM MR. P AND WAS THUS COMPETENT TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE WITH ACCUSED EVEN AFTER CONVERSION TO ISLAM ........................................................................ 32 THE CONCERNS OF COURT REGARDING THE PROCESS FOLLOWED FOR RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE ....................................................................... 33 The Courts in India have Religiously Guided the Religious Sanctity of a Person‘s Choice to Practice Any Religion .................................................. 33 RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLEMNIZATION OF INTER-FAITH MARRIAGES: CRUCIAL ASPECTS TO BE FOLLOWED ................................................................ 39

1. Informed Consent and Understanding: ................................................ 39

2. Communication in Native Language: .................................................. 40

3. Legal Implications of Conversion Be Explained: Succession & Inheritance, Maintenance, Custody of Children, Rights of the Spouse to Personal Law After Conversion ....................................................... 41

4. Religious Repercussions of Conversion for the Purpose of Inter-faith Marriage: .............................................................................................. 42

5. Marital Consequences in Marriages after Conversion: ........................ 43

6. Identity Verification of the Prospective Spouses: ................................ 44

7. Affidavit for Marital History: .............................................................. 44

8. Scope for Reverting Back to Original Religion: .................................. 45 GUIDELINES ............................................................................................... 45 Note of Caution ........................................................................................... 46 CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................