Shimla, June 4,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court, on May 23, 2025, granted bail in a case where an individual was accused of rape under the pretext of marriage. Justice Virender Singh presided over the ruling, which pertained to an FIR of 2025 registered under Sections 64(1) and 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The complaint, initially lodged in Telangana, was subsequently transferred to Dharamshala.
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The complainant, a 31-year-old working woman, stated she had connected with the applicant on the Bumble dating application with the aim of finding a life partner. She alleged that during a solo trip to Dharamshala, the applicant invited her to his Airbnb accommodation, where he purportedly coerced her into consuming alcohol before sexually assaulting her with a promise of marriage. She later reportedly discovered that the applicant was already married.
The defense counsel for the accused argued that Bumble is a dating platform, not a matrimonial site, and that the physical relationship between the parties was consensual. The defense also pointed to a delay of approximately one month in the filing of the First Information Report.
Justice Virender Singh, in his decision, acknowledged these arguments. He noted that the prosecutrix, described as a mature and independent traveler, had chosen to stay with a person she had only recently connected with via a dating application.
The court emphasized that the applicant could not be held in judicial custody indefinitely, stating that “pre-trial punishment is prohibited under the law,” and further observed that the investigation was “almost complete.”
Bail was granted on the condition of furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount. Additional conditions stipulated by the court include cooperating with the ongoing investigation, regularly attending trial proceedings, refraining from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses, and not leaving India without prior court permission. The High Court clarified that its observations made during the bail application are specific to this stage and will not prejudice the final outcome of the trial.
