Fail To Understand How Unmarried Couple Can Think Of Physical Relation Before Marriage: SC

The Supreme Court of India recently made oral observations advising young individuals to exercise caution before entering into physical relationships prior to marriage. The remarks were made while hearing a bail plea in a case involving allegations of rape on the false promise of marriage.

A Bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan was considering the plea of a man accused of establishing physical relations with a woman by assuring her that he would marry her. The woman later discovered that the man was already married and had even married another woman during the course of their relationship.

What Did the Court Say?

During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna orally observed that before marriage, a man and woman are essentially strangers and should be careful before engaging in physical intimacy. She remarked that individuals should not blindly trust one another prior to marriage and must act with prudence.

The Court also questioned why the complainant travelled abroad to meet the accused before marriage. When it was pointed out that the two had connected through a matrimonial website and were planning to marry, the Bench observed that if marriage was the primary intention, such meetings should have been approached with greater caution.

Allegations in the Case

According to the prosecution, the complainant, a 30-year-old woman, met the accused on a matrimonial website in 2022. It is alleged that he developed a relationship with her and established physical relations on multiple occasions in Delhi and later in Dubai, assuring her that he would marry her.

The woman has further alleged that during her visit to Dubai, the accused recorded intimate videos without her consent and threatened to circulate them. She later came to know that he had married another woman on January 19, 2024, in Punjab.

Mediation Suggested

While hearing the bail plea, the Court observed that cases involving consensual relationships that later turn sour may not always be suitable for full-fledged trial and conviction. The Bench suggested referring the matter to mediation to explore a possible settlement.

The case has been listed for further hearing to examine the possibility of resolution.

Earlier Court Decisions

Previously, both the Sessions Court and the Delhi High Court had rejected the accused’s bail applications. On November 18, 2025, the High Court held that the allegations suggested that the promise of marriage may have been false from the beginning, especially since the accused was already married and had remarried.

The High Court relied on established legal principles stating that consent obtained on the basis of a false promise of marriage may not be considered valid if the promise was made dishonestly and without genuine intention to marry.

The accused then approached the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition.

Case Title: Y K v. State Govt. of NCT of Delhi
Case No.: SLP (Crl) No. 20842/2025