IPC Section 493 — Cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage

Summary

If a man tricks a woman into believing she is legally married to him when she is not, and because of that belief she lives with him or has sex with him, he commits an offence. This applies only when the man uses deceit to create that false belief. The punishment for this offence can be imprisonment for up to ten years, and a fine may also be imposed.

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

• RAVINDER KAUR vs ANIL KUMAR — Supreme Court of India (2015)
• RAM CHANDRA BHAGAT vs STATE OF JHARKHAND — Supreme Court of India (2010)
• ARUN SINGH & OTHERS vs STATE OF U.P. THROUGH ITS SECRETARY & ANOTHER — Supreme Court of India (2020)
• URMILA DEVI vs YUDHVIR SINGH — Supreme Court of India (2013)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

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