As per case facts, the appellant was accused of sexual assault on the pretext of a false promise of marriage, leading to the registration of a criminal case; the Bombay ... High Court dismissed his petition under CrPC Section 482 seeking to quash the proceedings, leading to the appeal to the Supreme Court. The question arose whether the prosecution, based on a consensual relationship that turned sour, constituted an abuse of process of law warranting the exercise of inherent jurisdiction. Finally, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal, quashing the criminal proceedings, and held that the relationship was consensual between two mature adults. The Court observed the complainant's conduct of sustaining the relationship for over a year and pursuing it even while still married contradicted the narrative of consent obtained through misconception of fact, concluding that this was a case of consensual relationship turning sour and an abuse of process falling under the Bhajan Lal guidelines.