Following general investigation, Mathura, her brother, Ashok, and his family members were permitted to go back home.
When her relatives and the assembled crowd threatened to burn down the police chowky, the two accused policemen, Ganpat and Tukaram, reluctantly agreed to file a panchnama (legal recording of evidence).
The Court held that passive submission due to fear induced by serious threats could not be construed as consent or willing sexual intercourse.
The Supreme Court held that Mathura had raised no alarm; and also that there were no visible marks of injury on her body thereby suggesting no struggle and therefore no rape.
[8][9] In September 1979, only a few days after the verdict was pronounced, law professors Upendra Baxi,Raghunath Kelkar and Lotika Sarkar of Delhi University and Vasudha Dhagamwar of Pune wrote an open letter to the Supreme Court, protesting the concept of consent in the judgment.
"[8] Spontaneous widespread protests and demonstrations followed by women's organisations who demanded a review of judgement, receiving extensive media coverage.
[10] A number of women's group were formed as a direct response to the judgment, including Saheli in Delhi, and prior to that in January 1980, Lotika Sarkar, was also involved in the formation of the first feminist group in India against rape, "Forum Against Rape", later renamed "Forum Against Oppression of Women" (FAOW).
Seema Sakhare, the founder of the first organizations in India that worked on the issue of violence against women, met and supported Mathura.