Both married to others, no ‘promise to wed’ crime: Himachal High Court grants man bail

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that a man could not be charged with sexual relations obtained through deceitful means when both the accused and the woman were already married to others and were aware of each other's marital status. Justice Sandeep Sharma granted the accused bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two local sureties of the same amount.

The court emphasized that the woman had voluntarily met the accused since 2022 and had not lodged any previous complaints. Both parties were aware of their existing marriages, and there was no evidence of a promise to marry. The court found the accused's guilt had not been established, and indefinite jail time during the trial would be unjustified.

The woman alleged that the accused had physically assaulted her after promising to marry her once she obtained a divorce. The court noted that the complaint suggested the promise to marry was conditional upon the woman divorcing her spouse.