The Chhattisgarh High Court at Bilaspur has set aside the conviction of a 25-year-old man sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape, holding that the physical relationship between him and the woman was consensual and not established under a false promise of marriage.
Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi delivered the judgment on October 9, 2025, allowing the appeal filed by Rupesh Kumar Puri against the order of the Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court), Jagdalpur, which had convicted him under Section 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case originated from a complaint lodged by the woman, who alleged that Puri had taken her to his house a day before her scheduled marriage and had sexual relations with her on the promise of marriage. She stated that he continued the relationship for nearly two and a half months before refusing to marry her and forcing her to leave his house.
The trial court had relied on her testimony to convict Puri and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of ₹10,000. However, the High Court re-evaluated the evidence and noted that the two had known each other for years and were involved in a long-standing love affair since 2013.
Justice Chandravanshi observed that the woman had herself admitted to maintaining a consensual relationship with the appellant even after an earlier case between them had ended. The court found that she had voluntarily accompanied Puri to his house and that their relationship had turned sour only after disputes arose with his family.
Citing recent Supreme Court decisions in Prithivirajan vs State (2025 SCC OnLine SC 696) and Jothiragawan vs State (2025 SCC OnLine SC 628), the High Court emphasized that a consensual relationship cannot be termed as rape merely because the promise of marriage could not be fulfilled due to subsequent differences.
The court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove that the consent of the woman was obtained under a false promise of marriage. It therefore acquitted Puri, setting aside his conviction and sentence, and directed that his bail bonds remain in force for six months under Section 481 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Case Details : CRA No. 386 of 2022, Rupesh Kumar Puri vs State of Chhattisgarh
For Appellant : Mr. Pravin Kumar Tulsyan, Advocate
For Respondent/State : Ms. Mukta Tripathi, Panel Lawyer