Punjab and Haryana HC: Cannot Force a Woman to Marry Even After Intimate Relationship
The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently said that a woman cannot be forced to marry someone just because she had an intimate relationship with him. The court made this observation while granting anticipatory bail to a woman accused of abetting suicide.
The case involved a man who ended his life after the woman refused to marry him. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against her on March 16 at a police station in Ludhiana, under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Court’s Observation:
Justice Gurbir Singh, after reviewing the case records and the suicide note, said the woman and the man had a strained relationship. The woman’s family had even approached the police earlier, and the matter was settled through a compromise on February 27.
The judge pointed out that from February 27 onwards, there was no contact or intimacy between the woman and the man. There was also no action or statement after that date to prove her involvement in the man’s suicide.
Justice Singh stated:
“She is an unmarried woman. There is no need for custodial interrogation, and no recovery needs to be made from her. Therefore, anticipatory bail is justified.”
He further added that although the suicide was serious, it was unclear if the woman’s actions directly led to the man’s death. Since her interrogation in custody was unnecessary, the court allowed her bail without discussing the case’s full merits.
Verdict:
The woman was granted anticipatory bail, and the court emphasized that being in a past relationship does not make someone responsible for another person’s decision to end their life.
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