'Don't trust anybody before marriage': SC advises caution in pre-marital physical relationship
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday said a boy and a girl before marriage are "total strangers" and they should be cautious while indulging in pre-marital physical relationships.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, which was hearing the bail plea of a man accused of rape on a false promise of marriage, questioned the woman why she travelled all the way to Dubai where they indulged in physical relationship.
"It's consensual. We may be old-fashioned but a boy and girl before marriage are total strangers. They should be circumspect in indulging in physical relationships before marriage," the bench observed.
"Whatever may be the thick and thin of their relationship, we fail to understand how they can be indulging in physical relationship before marriage. Maybe we are old- fashioned but you must be very careful, nobody should believe anybody before marriage," Justice Nagarathna said.
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Counsel for the woman said they met on a matrimonial website in 2022 and he allegedly established physical relations with her on a false promise of marriage on multiple occasions in Delhi and later in Dubai.
Justice Nagarathna questioned the woman about what was the need for her to travel to Dubai and observed that it appears to be a case of consensual relationship.
"She should not have gone before marriage if she was so strict about it. We will send them to mediation. These are not cases which are to be tried and convicted when there is consensual relationship," she said.
Justice Nagarathna asked the counsel for the man to pay some compensation to her and be done with it.
The bench also asked the woman’s counsel to explore the possibility of settlement and posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday to see the views of both the parties. The woman has claimed in her complaint that on his insistence, she travelled to Dubai where he allegedly established physical relations with her on false pretext of marriage and recorded intimate videos without her consent, threatening to circulate them if she resisted.
The woman said that later she learnt that he had married a second woman in January, 2024 in Punjab.
The Delhi High Court and the trial court had dismissed the bail application of the man.
The high court rejected bail, saying the allegations prima facie indicate that the promise of marriage was false from inception, particularly as the petitioner was already married and had married again on January 19, 2024.
Aggrieved by the high court's order, the man approached the top court for bail in the case.
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Officially take stand against guarantee schemes, seek its withdrawal in Assembly: Shivakumar to BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday challenged the opposition BJP to officially take a stand as a party against the five guarantee schemes, and to formally make a statement in the Legislative Assembly asking the government to withdraw them.
He said that if the BJP clarifies its official stand during the ongoing Budget session, the matter can be discussed in detail.
The Deputy CM said this while BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda was speaking during the discussion on the state budget in the Assembly.
Asking the government to revisit the guarantee schemes ('Shakti', 'Gruha Lakshmi', 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Yuva Nidhi' and 'Anna Bhagya'), the MLA urged the government to withdraw these schemes from affluent people and divert the funds toward developmental work.
"You (BJP) members are individually sharing your opinion in the Assembly. You tell your decision to us as a party in the Assembly to revisit or withdraw the guarantee schemes. Let's discuss. Since it's your party's opinion, we cannot say it's wrong right away. Let's discuss. If you do it during this Budget session itself, we will discuss it," Shivakumar said.
Gowda replied to Shivakumar by saying that it was the Congress' decision to announce and implement the guarantee schemes, why drag BJP into it, take a decision as a government.
Reacting to it, Shivakumar said, "After the guarantees announcement was made (following the 2023 assembly polls), Yediyurappa (BJP veteran and former CM) had said that the five schemes should be implemented without any shortcoming, so all the schemes were implemented within six months. We have heard you (BJP) too, while implementing the schemes."
Further claiming that unlike in Karnataka, only ruling party workers benefit in BJP-ruled Assam, he said, "Congress people and supporters don't get any benefits there."
Accepting that the guarantee schemes are not needed for those well off, government officials, and others, he said, "We have taken a decision, various suggestions are coming. As a political party you (BJP) come to a decision. We will discuss that....give it officially."
Revenue Minister Priyank Kharge intervened and said, "Let the BJP as its official party, stand say -- withdraw five guarantee schemes."
