The Delhi High Court has acquitted a man previously convicted of rape under allegations that he had falsely promised to marry the complainant. In a significant ruling, Justice Jasmeet Singh stated that strong, clear evidence is required to prove that a sexual relationship was established solely on a false promise of marriage made in bad faith.
This decision overturns a city court’s earlier verdict from September 13, 2023, which had sentenced the man to 10 years in prison under Sections 366 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code. The case initiated with a first information report (FIR) filed in November 2019 by the woman’s father, claiming that his 20-year-old daughter had gone missing with the man. The couple was later found in Dharuhera, Haryana, where the man was arrested.
During the appeal, the man’s lawyer, Pradeep Kr Arya, argued that the relationship was consensual, motivated by love and affection, and not predicated on any criminal intent or false promise of marriage. The city court was criticized for not recognizing that the woman had voluntarily gone to the hotel with the man without any coercion.
In contrast, the Delhi police, represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Yudhvir Singh Chauhan, maintained that the trial court had correctly evaluated the evidence and that the judgement should stand without interference.
However, the High Court’s 18-page verdict highlighted that both individuals were adults and consenting parties in love, entering into their relationship freely. “The appellant and the prosecutrix were both adults, consenting individuals and established physical relationship being in love with each other and out of their own free will,” the court observed. It further noted that while the marriage did not occur, it was incorrect to assert that the relationship was solely based on a false promise to marry.
