Overview
- Justice S. Srimathy of the Madurai Bench dismissed an anticipatory bail plea in a case alleging sexual relations on a false promise of marriage.
- The order directed police to add Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 69 to the FIR after finding prima facie material supporting prosecution.
- Section 69 criminalises sexual intercourse obtained by deceit, including false promises of marriage, with punishment reported up to 10 years in prison and a fine.
- In wider observations, the court proposed recognising live-in relationships as Gandharva (love) marriages so women could receive rights akin to a wife, noting a lack of specific protections.
- The judge criticised post-breakup character attacks on women and said men who back out of marriage promises should face the law, citing the gravity of the offence to justify custodial interrogation.