India, Jan. 27 -- The Allahabad High Court, while setting aside a life imprisonment sentence in a sexual assault case, observed that the growing influence of "western ideas" and the concept of live-in relationships is "contributing" to a rise in criminal cases when such relationships break down.

The court made the observation while quashing the conviction of a man sentenced under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act, noting that the relationship in question was consensual and involved an adult woman, news agency ANI reported.

The observations came while the court was hearing an appeal filed by Chandresh, who had been convicted in March 2024 by a...