In a significant ruling, the Tripura High Court acquitted Sukanta Murasing, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape. The court found that consensual relationships between married couples do not qualify as rape under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This decision was made by a division bench comprising Justice T Amarnath Goud and Justice S Datta Purkayastha on Saturday. The case began when an FIR was filed in October 2022, alleging that Murasing had sexually assaulted the complainant in 2017. However, the couple had married in January 2018 and had a notarized declaration of their marriage. The court noted that the complainant had admitted to a long-term romantic relationship with Murasing and confirmed that their marriage remained valid. Additionally, the court observed that she had lived with him as his wife after the alleged incident, with no evidence of resistance or immediate complaint, which suggested that their relationship was consensual. This ruling underscores the complexities surrounding consent and marital relationships within the legal framework of India.