Court Quashes FIR in False Marriage Promise Case

The Allahabad High Court nullified an FIR against petitioners accused of false marriage promises, emphasizing that Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita punishes deceit, not disappointment. The court maintained the investigation but stayed arrests, citing mutual agreement to marry rather than deceitful promises.

The Allahabad High Court has nullified an FIR filed against individuals accused of making false promises of marriage to secure physical relations, stating that Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) punishes deceit rather than mere disappointment. The court ordered that although the investigation could proceed under other sections, the petitioners should not be arrested.

According to the court, the intimate relations between the petitioner and the respondent were due to mutual consent and not based on a false promise of marriage. The FIR was reportedly lodged after a previously settled marriage was canceled due to undisclosed differences. In allowing a writ petition by the petitioners including Neeleshramchandani and his father, the division bench clarified that Section 69 addresses deceitful intentions, not genuine agreements that did not materialize.

The court further noted that the FIR's timing was more related to personal disagreements than any deceitful intent by the petitioners. Evidence presented in the writ petition supported the claim that there was no fraudulent promise of marriage from the petitioner's side. It was emphasized that essential elements for an offense under Section 69 include engaging in intimate relations based on deceitful promises, which were not present in this case.

(With inputs from agencies.)