India, Jan. 27 -- The increased tendency among the youth to opt for live-in is influenced by "western ideas", said the Allahabad High Court as it set aside the life imprisonment awarded to a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl after it was found that she was an adult who entered into a consensual relationship. The court said that when such relationships fail, first information reports (FIRs) alleging rape are frequently lodged.

A division bench of Justice Siddharth and Justice Prashant Mishra passed the order while allowing a criminal appeal filed by one Chandresh. Since existing laws are in favour of women, men are convicted by relying on the laws that were made when the concept of live-in relationships was nowhere ...