BNS Section 81 — Cohabitation caused by man deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage

Summary

Every man who deceives a woman into believing she is lawfully married to him, when she is not, and then causes her to live with him or have sexual intercourse with him based on that false belief, commits an offence under this section. The punishment for this offence is imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to ten years, and the man shall also be liable to a fine.

Official Text

Every man who by deceit causes any woman who is not lawfully married to him to believe that she is lawfully married to him and to cohabit or have sexual intercourse with him in that belief, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• ARUN SINGH & OTHERS v. STATE OF U.P. THROUGH ITS SECRETARY & ANOTHER — Supreme Court of India (2020)
• RAM CHANDRA BHAGAT v. STATE OF JHARKHAND 1055 — Supreme Court of India (2012)
• S.C.R. 1094 RAM CHANDRA BHAGAT v. STATE OF JHARKHAND — Supreme Court of India (2010)
• ... Appellant / Sole accused vs State represented by — Madras High Court ()
• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• WP(MD)/15746/2015 — Madras High Court ()
• STAY) SAKSHI MEHTA v. STATE & ANR. — High Court of Delhi (2019)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• IPC §493 — Cohabitation caused by man deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage