While hearing a bail plea for a man accused of raping a woman under the guise of a marriage proposal, the Supreme Court of India issued a cautionary message to the public. Justice B.V. Nagarathna remarked that individuals are essentially “strangers” until they are legally wed and should exercise extreme care before entering into physical relationships. The Court noted that in many cases of alleged “false promises,” the lines of consent are blurred, making them difficult to prosecute. In this instance, where the woman met the accused on a matrimonial site and traveled abroad to meet him, the bench suggested mediation as a way to resolve the conflict.
