The Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to a 23-year-old social media influencer accused of raping a 40-year-old woman. The apex court noted that the man had been in custody for nine months without charges being formally framed. This raised concerns over the delay in trial proceedings.
A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma made strong observations while hearing the bail plea. “A single hand can’t clap,” the court remarked, questioning the grounds on which Delhi Police invoked Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The bench emphasized the woman’s age and the nature of her interactions with the accused, saying, “A single hand can’t clap. She is not a baby. The woman is 40 years old, They have gone together to Jammu seven times, and the husband is not bothered.”
Court Pulls Up Delhi Police
The justices expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of the rape charges, noting that the woman had voluntarily accompanied the man on multiple trips. They questioned the police’s decision to file a rape case under such circumstances, highlighting the lack of clear coercion in the initial stages of their relationship.
“On what basis have you filed this case? Why have you invoked 376?” the bench asked, criticizing the investigation’s foundation and calling for a more thorough review. “They have gone together to Jammu. Why have you invoked 376? This lady goes to Jammu seven times, and the husband is not bothered,” the bench said.
Interim Bail Granted with Conditions
The Supreme Court while granting interim bail, instructed that the accused be presented before the trial court and released under strict conditions. The court warned the accused not to misuse his liberty or make any contact with the complainant. This ruling came in response to an appeal against the Delhi High Court’s earlier decision to deny bail, citing the gravity of the allegations.
According to the police complaint, the woman first connected with the accused via social media in 2021 while seeking an influencer to promote her clothing brand. During their early interactions, the man requested an iPhone for content creation, which the woman provided through an Apple Store in Jammu. Tensions rose after the accused allegedly attempted to resell the device, prompting the woman to sever ties.
The complaint
The complaint further alleges that in December 2021, the accused visited the woman in Noida, offered her sweets laced with intoxicants, and later sexually assaulted her near Hindu Rao Hospital.
He is also accused of stealing money, taking explicit photos, and subsequently coercing her into multiple trips to Jammu, where the abuse allegedly continued over a two-and-a-half-year period.
Multiple IPC Sections Invoked
An FIR was registered under Sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault on woman), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Supreme Court’s comments and the granting of interim bail signal a critical judicial intervention in the ongoing legal process, with implications for both police procedure and future hearings in the case.
