The petitioner, a 22-year-old Muslim man (petitioner), had entered into a live-in relationship with an 18-year-old Hindu woman on August 25, 2022. As per his petition, the two were close friends for five years before they developed a romantic relationship.
The petitioner claimed that a day after the couple eloped, the woman’s father filed a missing report. On the same day, the couple filed a joint petition for police protection before the Rajasthan High Court.
Two days later, the woman’s father is stated to have lodged a first information report (FIR) against the petitioner, alleging kidnapping and rape.
On August 30, 2022, the Rajasthan High Court, as an interim measure, directed the State government to grant police protection to the couple. However, allegedly, on the day of the hearing, the woman’s family took her away.
On the next day of the hearing, the plea for protection was dismissed as no one appeared for the couple.
Subsequently, on October 31, 2022, the petitioner was arrested in connection with the FIR filed by his partner’s father.
He was charged under Sections 366, 376, 384, 323, 328, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
He then filed a court application for bail. After his plea was rejected, he approached the Rajasthan High Court, which also denied his bail application. Aggrieved, he moved the Supreme Court
Source: Barandbench
