Supreme Court Urges Caution in Pre-Marital Relationships During Bail Hearing in Alleged False Promise of Marriage Case
Top court observes that couples must exercise extreme care before entering physical relationships ahead of marriage.
The Supreme Court on Monday made significant observations on pre-marital relationships while hearing a bail plea in a case involving allegations of rape on the false promise of marriage.
A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan was examining the bail application of a man accused of establishing a physical relationship with a woman after allegedly promising to marry her. According to the prosecution, the accused was already married at the time of the relationship and later married another woman in Punjab in January 2024.
During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna stressed the need for caution in pre-marital physical relationships. She remarked that individuals should be extremely careful before entering into such relationships prior to marriage.
“Maybe we are old-fashioned, but before marriage, a boy and a girl are strangers,” the judge observed, adding that people should not blindly trust promises made before marriage.
As per the case details, the two met in 2022 through a matrimonial website and reportedly developed a relationship. The prosecution alleged that the man assured the woman that he would marry her, which led to a consensual physical relationship. They are also said to have travelled together to Dubai.
It was further alleged that the accused recorded private videos of their intimate moments without the woman’s consent and later threatened to circulate them. The woman subsequently discovered that he was already married and had gone on to marry another woman.
During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna questioned why the woman chose to travel to Dubai with the accused before marriage if she considered marriage to be a priority. When the government counsel pointed out that the couple had met through a matrimonial site and were planning to marry, the judge responded that if marriage was so important, such steps should have been avoided beforehand.
The bench also suggested the possibility of referring the matter to mediation. It observed that cases involving consensual relationships may not necessarily be suited for trial and conviction in every instance.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on Wednesday.
