In a significant ruling gaining attention on social media, the Telangana High Court has clarified that failure to fulfill a promise of marriage does not automatically constitute a criminal offense.
The court stated that a relationship based on a promise of marriage, if it later fails, cannot be labeled as cheating or a criminal act unless there is clear evidence of malicious intent from the beginning.
The judgment came during the hearing of a case filed by a man named Santosh, who approached the court seeking to quash a complaint lodged against him by a woman alleging breach of promise to marry.
According to the complainant, Santosh had proposed marriage in 2018. She initially refused but later agreed after he allegedly threatened self-harm, leading to a relationship that lasted for five years.
The woman claimed that when she later insisted on marriage, Santosh refused and instead offered financial compensation. She also alleged that he briefly agreed to marry during family intervention but later backed out again.
However, Santosh’s lawyer argued that there was no supporting evidence to prove criminal intent and emphasized that the end of a personal relationship does not fall under criminal law.
After reviewing arguments from both sides and citing Supreme Court precedents, the High Court ruled that unless it is proven that the promise was made with fraudulent intent from the outset, such cases amount to a breach of promise rather than a criminal offense.
