False Promise of Marriage & Criminal Liability (BNS Section 69)
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 69 criminalises sexual intercourse obtained by deceit, including a false promise of marriage made without intent to fulfil it.
• It targets fraud and exploitation, not mere relationship failure or disappointment.
Karnataka High Court ruling
• A failed relationship or broken promise, by itself, is not a crime.
• Section 69 cannot be used to retroactively criminalise consensual relationships unless there is clear proof of deception and lack of intent from the outset.
