India, Oct. 24 -- New Delhi

Friendship cannot be construed as a licence to rape, confine, or assault a woman repeatedly, the Delhi High Court has held while denying anticipatory bail to a man accused of raping a 17-year-old girl. The man had contended that they were in a consensual relationship.

The verdict was delivered by a bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on October 17 while dealing with the man's plea seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him under various provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including rape and Section 4 (penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

In the FIR, the 17-year-old victim alleged that the man had been residing in her neighbourhood fo...