Delhi High Court stays Sangam Vihar case, flags rape claims in matrimonial disputes
The Delhi High Court has stayed trial court proceedings against two brothers-in-law in a case originating from the Sangam Vihar police station, while flagging an emerging trend of complainants using allegations of rape and sexual offences in matrimonial disputes to pressure in-laws into hefty settlements. Justice Girish Kathpalia issued the stay order on a petition filed by the two men seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against them by their sister-in-law.
The petitioners contended that the criminal case was filed out of vengeance after the complainant’s husband instituted divorce proceedings in September 2023. The FIR, alleging cruelty, rape, sexual harassment, and criminal intimidation, was subsequently lodged at the Sangam Vihar Police Station on April 15, 2024.
During the proceedings, the senior advocate representing the brothers-in-law argued that the initial FIR filed in April 2024 contained no allegations of rape. The complainant introduced the rape allegation for the first time on June 15, 2024, in her statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She claimed the alleged offense had occurred much earlier, in 2017.
The petitioners pointed out that there was no explanation as to why the complainant remained silent about the alleged 2017 offense for seven years. Observing the timeline, Justice Kathpalia noted that a trend has been setting in where complainants allege serious charges like rape and molestation to compel in-laws to settle family disputes with large financial payouts.
The court referenced the Supreme Court’s landmark 2014 judgment in Arnesh Kumar v State of Bihar, which restricted automatic arrests in matrimonial disputes. Justice Kathpalia remarked that the trend of levelling serious sexual assault charges appeared to develop following that ruling.
The High Court ordered that all proceedings before the trial court regarding the two brothers-in-law will remain stayed until further orders. The court has scheduled the matter for its next hearing on November 17, 2026.
