Allahabad High Court absolves Sanjay Saroj in consensual relationship case
The Allahabad High Court has said that being in a long-term, consensual relationship doesn't become rape just because a promise to marry wasn't kept.
In its ruling, the court dropped all charges against Sanjay Saroj, saying there was no sign of deception during the nearly five years he and the complainant were together.
Court calls case abuse of process
This case started with a 2019 complaint in Prayagraj, where the woman said Saroj had physical relations with her on the promise of marriage.
But since their relationship began back in 2014 and was clearly consensual for years, the court (quoting earlier Supreme Court decisions) said such disputes aren't criminal.
Justice Vivek Kumar Singh summed it up: the matter was "a consensual relationship that soured, and not one established through deception via a false promise."
The court called the case an abuse of legal process and closed it for good.