Gujarat high court quashes rape charges in honey trap case

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has quashed rape charges against a man who fell victim to a ‘honey trap' where the complainant allegedly extorted money from him.In this case, Dumas police in Surat registered an FIR against Manoj Vasoya in 2021 on rape charges levelled by a 38-year-old married woman who used to run a beauty parlour. She told police that Vasoya connected with her on Facebook in Jan 2019, met her several times and subjected her to sexual exploitation, threat and coercion over a prolonged period. Vasoya was booked for rape, criminal intimidation and abetment. Vasoya moved the HC for quashing of the FIR and denied the accusations. He argued that the relationship was consensual. He submitted that the woman had recorded a video of their physical relations and later demanded money and ornaments, amounting to blackmail. He relied on call transcripts and a prior police complaint against the woman, alleging extortion of Rs 60 lakh. The state govt opposed the quashing petition, citing forensic material and the woman's statement recorded by a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC. However, the court found that the sequence of events, repeated meetings and the complainant's conduct indicated consensual relations. After the hearing, Justice M K Thakkar quashed the FIR and stated, "On referring to the above provisions and the facts of the present case, it emerges that this is a case of honey trap and not, in any manner, a case of rape. Keeping the video on, indulging in physical relations, sending friend request, time and again accompanying the applicant is nothing but consensual relations made by the complainant, which was subsequently used to extort the money. In that background, the applicant cannot be sent for the trial for false allegations."
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