Marriage Proposal Not Ending in Marriage Is Not Cheating: Supreme Court – News18

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that a “marriage proposal” not reaching the desired end despite family talks and meetings cannot be termed as cheating. The top court remarked while dismissing a hearing of a case filed against a man who refused to go through with a wedding after talks with the woman’s family.

Noting that there can be multiple reasons behind initiating a marriage proposal and eventually not ending up in a marriage, the apex court dismissed the case against the man.

According to an NDTV report, a case was registered against Raju Krishna Shedbalkar, his brothers, sister and mother based on a complaint filed by a woman who alleged that he had cheated her by not marrying her.

The woman alleged that both families met and her parents found Shedbalkar suitable for her,  post which they both started talking to each other.

The woman also alleged that her father also paid Rs 75,000 to book a wedding venue, but then she learnt that the man got married to someone else.

In 2021, the Karnataka High Court held him guilty of cheating under Section 417, which entails a jail term of up to one year or fine, or both.

Challenging the court’s order, Raju Krishna Shedbalkar approached the Supreme Court which dismissed the case against him on Wednesday.

“Time and again, this court has reiterated that to make out an offence under cheating the intention to cheat or deceive should be right from the beginning. By no stretch of the imagination, this is even reflected in the complaint made by the informant,” the publication quoted the SC bench.