Gurugram, June 19 -- An RTI query filed with the Gurugram police has revealed that 43.6% of all rape cases registered between 2020 and 2024 were linked to allegations of "false promise of marriage", which is classified as rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The data also shows that one in four rape FIRs was later cancelled by the police as false or unsubstantiated. Between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, Gurugram police registered 955 rape cases, of which 417 involved false promise of marriage, according to a reply received by activist and documentary filmmaker Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj. HT accessed a copy of the RTI response. Of the total, 236 cases were cancelled, suggesting the allegations were found to be untrue during investigation. However, police initiated legal action in only 96 of these cases, according to Bhardwaj and other activists, raising concerns over the lack of deterrence. "We are seeing a pattern where consensual relationships that later sour are weaponised as rape allegations under the false promise of marriage," Bhardwaj said. "This is not only an abuse of the law but is also harming genuine survivors and overburdening the justice system." Legal experts said the data calls for a dual-framework approach-one that provides robust support for survivors while also enforcing accountability in cases of proven misuse. In a memo dated June 19, 2024, the Director General of Police (DGP), Haryana, directed all police commissioners and superintendents of police to take "necessary action against complainants who have filed multiple false rape cases," citing growing concerns about the misuse of rape laws by repeat complainants. Susheela, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), headquarters, crime against women, said that there has been a shift in the nature of complaints compared to a decade ago. "Now, laws are being misused blatantly, due to which we have changed our investigation pattern in such cases. Social media often provides enough evidence to expose a truth," she said. Bhardwaj, who heads the Ekam Nyaay Foundation, said that her group recently uncovered a woman in Gurugram who had filed nine rape complaints against different men within a year. "She was arrested last year. In another case, a honeytrap gang tried to frame a police officer," she added. ACP Susheela said that officers maintain a balanced approach during investigation to safeguard the rights of both complainant and accused. "We strictly follow Supreme Court guidelines and allow the accused to produce all forms of evidence-WhatsApp chats, photos, and more. If allegations don't stand, we don't register the case or move for FIR cancellation." "In several such cases, we have urged the court to act against the complainants," she added. Bhardwaj said the intention is not to discredit real survivors. "It's about ensuring the law isn't weaponised to destroy innocent lives under the guise of justice," she said....