Goa, April 16 -- In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court's Jalpaiguri circuit bench has clarified that a consensual physical relationship between two married adults cannot be considered criminal misconduct-even if one party later alleges they were misled by a false promise of marriage.

Justice Bibhas Ranjan De, delivering the verdict on Friday, emphasized that the relationship in question was founded on mutual consent, with both individuals fully aware of each other's marital status. The judge concluded that the consent was not obtained through coercion or deception.

The case involved a married woman who accused a married man of engaging in a physical relationship with her under the pretext of marrying her. According to the com...