The Delhi High Court has raised serious concern over the increasing trend of false rape allegations, observing that such misuse of the legal process not only destroys the lives of those falsely accused but also weakens public trust in genuine complaints of sexual assault.
Justice Girish Kathpalia made these observations while granting bail to film director Sanoj Kumar Mishra, who was arrested after an aspiring actor accused him of rape—a claim she later admitted was false.
“This is yet another case, reflecting the recent trend of lodging false complaints of sexual offences,” the Court remarked. “Every false complaint of sexual offences not just causes immense damage to the person accused of the offence, but also creates cynicism and distrust across the society, which leads to even the genuine victims of sexual offences suffer, as society starts suspecting her truthful complaint also to be false. Such false complaints have to be dealt with sternly.”
The woman initially alleged that the director raped, blackmailed, and sexually exploited her. Mishra was arrested in March after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. A Sessions Court also denied him regular bail, prompting him to approach the High Court.
However, during the police investigation, the complainant retracted her claims and told the authorities that she had been in a consensual relationship with Mishra for five years. She admitted to filing a false complaint under provocation from the director’s rivals. An affidavit confirming the same was submitted to the High Court.
Taking into account her retraction, the Court granted Mishra bail and noted the damage done by such false allegations.
Delhi Police also informed the Court that they have initiated proceedings to register a criminal case against the complainant and others involved in the conspiracy to file the false rape complaint.
Case: Sanoj Kumar Mishra vs State of NCT of Delhi and Anr – Available on LAWFYI.IO
