Punjab & Haryana High Court On Married Woman Consenting To Sexual Relations On Promise of Marriage

The Punjab & Haryana High Court held that when a married woman consents to a sexual relationship on the promise of marriage, such consent cannot lead to a charge of rape on grounds of false inducement. The Court reasoned that a married woman is presumed aware of the legal impossibility of such a promise, and therefore, consent given in such a situation reflects moral disregard rather than legal deception. The judgment adds nuance to false-promise rape jurisprudence, focusing on mens rea, capacity, and societal context.