Patna High Court: Consensual Adult Relationships Not Rape if Marriage Fails

• The Patna High Court ruled that consensual physical relations between adults do not automatically constitute rape if marriage doesn't occur later.
• Justice Soni Srivastava's single bench dismissed a Section 376 IPC case, quashing a Bhagalpur Additional Sessions Judge's order.
• The case involved allegations of physical relations for a year on the pretext of marriage, followed by a rape charge when marriage failed.
• The accused's counsel argued the relationship was consensual between adults, with no coercion, and inability to marry shouldn't be termed rape.
• The High Court emphasized that a false promise and inability to marry are distinct, urging lower courts to seriously examine facts before proceeding with such cases.

Why It Matters: Consensual adult relationships, even if marriage fails, are not automatically rape; misuse of Section 376 is a concern.