PRAYAGRAJ, May 26 -- The Allahabad high court said that courts are witnessing a "growing trend" of consensual relationships turning sour, being converted into criminal prosecutions for rape. Making the observation the court quashed criminal proceedings against a Gorakhpur man accused of rape on the false promise of marriage.

The court said that the misuse of criminal law in such cases was a matter of "profound concern" and warned against trivialising rape.

Justice Vivek Kumar Singh passed the order while allowing an application filed by Sanjay @ Sanjay Kashyap under Section 528 BNSS, seeking quashing of the charge-sheet, cognisance order and entire proceedings in a rape case registered at Pipraich police station of Gorakhpur.

The court...