Delhi High Court Denies Bail in Case of Marriage Refusal After Physical Relationship Over Kundali Mismatch

The Delhi High Court denied bail to a man accused of rape and deceit under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after he allegedly engaged in a prolonged physical relationship with a woman based on repeated assurances of marriage. The court noted that the accused later refused to marry her citing a 'kundali' (horoscope) mismatch, despite earlier assurances to the contrary, suggesting consent was obtained through false promises. The court emphasized that such conduct prima facie attracts criminal liability under the BNS, which criminalizes sexual intercourse induced by deceitful means.