Consensual relationships can lead to quashing of serious criminal charges when disputes are settled.

ORDER

Dated this the 10^th day of February, 2026 The accused in Crime No.671/2024 of Palarivattom police station, filed this Crl.M.C. under Section 528 of BNSS , praying for quashing all further proceedings against him. The offences alleged against the petitioner is under Sections 376 & 506 of IPC .

2. The prosecution case as revealed from the FIR is that on 22.08.2023 the petitioner made friendship with the defacto complainant and promised to marry her and thereafter took her to ‘holiday inn’ at palarivattom and on 18.11.2023 subjected her to sexual abuse. Thereafter, during the period from 16.12.2023 to 19.12.2023 she was sexually abused in another hotel and thereafter he refused to marry her and thereby he is alleged to have committed the aforesaid offences. 3. According to the learned counsel for the petitioner, now the entire dispute between the petitioner and the defacto complainant were settled and therefore, he prayed for quashing all further proceedings against the petitioner.

4. The learned counsel for the 2^nd respondent/defacto complainant also submitted that the dispute between the petitioner and the defacto complainant was settled and therefore, he also prayed for quashing all further proceedings against the petitioner.

5. The 2^nd respondent/defacto complainant also filed an affidavit stating that the dispute between herself and the petitioner is settled.

6. The learned Public Prosecutor opposed the petition.

However, upon instructions he submitted that the defacto complainant had given signed statement to the SHO in tune with the averments in the affidavit filed before this Court.

7. From the FI Statement it is revealed that, the petitioner and the defacto complainant became friends and they had sexual relationship with each other at different hotels on different dates. In the above circumstances, primafacie it can be seen that, the relationship between them was a consensual one. The above conclusion is fortified by the fact that now the defacto complainant filed an affidavit stating that the dispute between herself and the petitioner is settled and she does not want to proceed with the case. In the above circumstances, no useful purpose will be served in continuing the proceedings against the petitioner and as such this Crl.M.C. is liable to be allowed.

In the result, this Crl. M.C is allowed. All further proceedings against the petitioner in Crime No.671/2024 of Palarivattom police station, stands quashed under Section 528 of BNSS .

Sd/-