Kerala HC quashes FIR: False marriage promise alone insufficient for induced consent charge

The Kerala High Court quashed an FIR and all proceedings in a case where the accused was charged under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged sexual intercourse following a false promise of marriage. Justice Jobin Sebastian held that allegations of a promise to marry were insufficient to establish that the woman's consent was induced by deceitful means, particularly as her marriage was subsisting at the time.

The case involved accused Habibur Rahman, who was charged after a woman alleged he made false marriage promises, took her to a hotel, mixed sedatives in her food, and had sexual intercourse with her on November 3, 2025. She also alleged he took and shared nude photographs without consent. The court noted that while settlement between parties cannot justify quashing proceedings involving serious offences, the essential ingredients of Section 69 BNS were not established by the FIR allegations.