PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 27 -- The Allahabad high court recently observed that the tendency of sexually exploiting women on the false promise of marriage is growing and that it must be nipped in the bud. The observation was made by a bench of Justice Nalin Kumar Srivastava, who rejected the anticipatory bail application of an accused Prashant Pal booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including section 69 (sexual intercourse by deceit, etc). "In the present case, the facts reveal that the accused applicant had a fraudulent intention towards the victim from the very beginning. He had no intention of marrying the victim from the outset and was merely gratifying his lust," the bench observed. "He repeatedly had physical relations with the victim.... Exploiting the victim under the pretext of marriage and ultimately refusing to marry her are tendencies that are increasing in society and must be curbed at the outset. This is a serious offense against society, and therefore, the applicant is not entitled to any leniency." The court further noted that although the victim was an adult and aware of the consequences of her actions with the accused, she placed complete trust and faith in him. The accused applicant was also alleged to have subjected the victim to physical and mental torture. It is alleged that despite a five-year relationship, the accused later refused to marry her and got engaged to another woman. Subsequently, the applicant filed a petition in the high court seeking protection from arrest. During the court proceedings, the applicant's counsel argued that the allegations were vague and false. It was further argued that both were adults and had been in a consensual relationship since 2020 but he had never made any promise of marriage to her. The state counsel opposed the petition. It was also submitted that the medical examination corroborated the victim's statement of sexual assault and that the accused was also threatening the victim with obscene videos. In this backdrop, the high court, while citing several apex court judgments, held if the intention was to induce the woman to have sexual intercourse by deceiving her, it amounts to a misconception of fact. Consequently, the court in its decision dated November 4 rejected the anticipatory bail application of the accused applicant....