The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed a 2011 rape case filed against Tamil film director and politician Seeman after both he and the complainant actor informed the court that they had decided to end the legal dispute.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan noted that the complainant had withdrawn her complaint, while Seeman had filed an affidavit tendering an unconditional apology, withdrawing his allegations against the actor, and undertaking not to contact her.
Quoting from the order, the bench said,
“The parties do not intend to continue any litigation. The respondent (actor) has also agreed to not to make any statement against the appellant before any media, including digital and or otherwise as well as social media… We find that interest of justice would be served if the impugned order is set aside. We say so for the reason that respondent no. 2 has stated in her affidavit that she would withdraw all complaints and FIR filed by her against the appellant. The FIR stands quashed.”
The court had earlier directed both parties to apologise to each other.
Seeman, who heads the Naam Tamilar Katchi party, had approached the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order which had refused to quash the FIR and directed the police to complete the investigation and file a final report.
The FIR, lodged by the actor in 2011, invoked charges of rape, criminal intimidation and cheating under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, along with Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
The actor had alleged that she was in a relationship with Seeman between 2007 and 2011 on the assurance of marriage, but he later married someone else. She accused him of sexually exploiting and emotionally manipulating her during that period.
