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29m ago

Delhi, Madhya Pradesh High Courts Reinforce Limits on ‘Promise-to-Marry’ Rape Cases

Both courts underscored that rape charges based on a marriage promise require proof of deceit at inception.

The top court stressed that false or vexatious complaints not only tarnish a person’s image but also amount to an abuse of judicial process
The bench, in its 18-page verdict quashed the case, noting that the woman had herself admitted that she willingly accompanied him and continued the relationship voluntarily, even after their families rejected the proposal. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Overview

  • In separate September 3 rulings, the Delhi High Court quashed an FIR and the Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld an acquittal in cases alleging rape on a false promise of marriage.
  • Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma held that an educated woman who knowingly continued a relationship with a married man cannot later claim she was misled or legally exploited.
  • Delhi judges cautioned that converting failed relationships into rape prosecutions would distort the purpose of sexual-offence law and trivialise genuine cases.
  • The Madhya Pradesh bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Avanindra Kumar Singh found no deception where the complainant remained legally married, noting evidentiary gaps including no medical injuries and inconsistent witnesses.
  • In the Delhi matter, the court noted investigative verification that the parties underwent a marriage in January last year, supporting its conclusion that the relationship was consensual rather than induced by fraud.