Bombay High Court quashes rape case against Binoy Kodiyeri after ₹80 lakh settlement with survivor

The Bombay High Court has quashed a First Information Report (FIR) against Binoy Kodiyeri, son of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, late Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. .According to ToI, the FIR was quashed after Binoy reached a settlement with the complainant and paid an amount of ₹80 lakh as compensation. The Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and SM Modak proceeded to quash the FIR after it was informed of the settlement on September 27..Binoy Kodiyeri had moved the High Court to quash the FIR registered against him by a 32-year-old woman who had alleged that Kodiyeri had sexual relations with her on false promise of marriage. The complainant claimed that they had a child together.In 2018, after she came to know that Binoy was married, he abandoned her and the child, compelling her to lodge a complaint with the Mumbai Police.Kdiyeri was then booked for rape, cheating and criminal intimidation.The police filed a chargesheet against him in 2020..Binoy was granted anticipatory bail by the Sessions Court at Dindoshi, Mumbai in July 2019. After this, he moved the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR in March this year. A month later, when the matter was taken up for hearing, the Court was informed that parties were trying to reach a settlement and, hence, the FIR ought to be quashed. The Court then granted time to the complainant to consider the terms of settlement and the implications. In the interim, it directed the lower court not to proceed with framing of charges against Binoy till the present petition is disposed of. .After months of consideration, on September 27, the High Court was informed that Binoy has paid an amount of ₹80 lakh as compensation in settlement. In light of this statement, the complainant also gave her consent to proceed with quashing of the FIR. Accordingly, the petition was disposed of after the FIR and consequently the chargesheet was quashed..[Read order]