‘Act Of Vengeance’: Why Supreme Court Quashed Rape FIR Against Govt Employee

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court (SC) has quashed a ‘Rape FIR’ lodged against a government employee from Jabalpur, finding that the complaint was lodged as an afterthought and an act of vengeance.

The case pertained to a complaint filed by a woman who worked with the appellant, Assistant Revenue Inspector Suresh Khawse, as a computer operator in Suhagi civic body.

Khawse had challenged a judgment of the High Court dated January 27, 2025, which had refused to exercise its powers under Section 528 of BNS to quash the FIR and the charge sheet.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N. Kotiswar Singh observed that the woman, who had a son from a previous marriage, lodged the complaint against Khawse only after he had filed a complaint against her with the municipal authorities.

The bench noted, “The fact that the subject FIR was only lodged after the issuance of a show-cause notice, which obviously has large real-world implications insofar as the complainant is concerned, leaves open a gaping possibility that the same was lodged as an afterthought and was a vehicle for vengeance for the impending consequences.” 

As per the facts of the case, Khawse and the complainant were colleagues, and their friendship had progressed into a physical relationship. The woman claimed that she had made it clear to Khawse that she was married and had a son, and he had assured her that they would eventually be married. 

Claiming the man established a relationship with her on the promise of marriage, she filed an FIR on October 13, 2023. 

However, Khawse had already filed a complaint with the police station Adhartaal, Jabalpur, on April 24, 2023, alleging that the woman was repeatedly threatening to kill herself and had come to his residence, hurled abuses, and even consumed rat poison. 

He also complainedto the municipal authorities, who subsequently issued a show-cause notice to the woman, asking her to rectify her behaviour.