BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court acquitted the youth in the sexual harassment case. The court acquitted the accused by observing that sexual intercourse is not possible without the woman's consent for five years and this cannot be considered as abuse.

The girl had filed a complaint alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a promise of marriage. In the complaint, the girl said that she engaged in sexual intercourse several times with the promise of marriage, but the man later withdrew from the marriage. In the complaint, the 53rd City Civil Sessions Court of Bangalore had charged him with sexual harassment and betrayal of trust. The young man approached the High Court against this. He confessed before the bench headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna that he was in love with the woman for five years. The young man told the court that they had decided to get married, but the caste bar prevented the marriage.

Consensus in the case was not for one day for two days or three days or months. They lived together for years on mutual consent, five years to be exact. Therefore, it cannot be said that sexual intercourse was against the interest of the girl for five years, Justice M Nagaprasanna clarified. Nagaprasanna added that the financial transactions made by the two during their courtship would not fall under Section 405 of the Penal Code.