"he misbehaved with her and she was forced into unnatural sex".

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stated that women are accusing their husband’s of shocking crimes in return for a financial reward.

They have ruled that husbands being accused of committing rape and unnatural sex towards their wife has become a trend.

The ruling by Justice Fateh Deep Singh came in a case between a woman and her first husband. She left her former matrimonial home five days after her marriage.

She later compromised with her then-husband after receiving Rs. 10 Lakh (£10,800).

The husband told the court that the complainant’s father was a “mistri” (craftsman) but had given the impression that he was a sub-divisional officer.

The wife alleged that they got married in July 2018 and a “huge dowry and costly gifts” were given to the groom’s family.

However, after the marriage, the husband was taken to court and charged with harassment and unnatural offence in November 2018.

The woman had alleged “he misbehaved with her and she was forced into unnatural sex.”

A case was registered at Hisar Civil Lines Police Station, Haryana under Sections 323, 377, 406, 498-A, 506 and 34 of the IPC. Section 376 (1). Rape charges were added later.

Although she stated her marriage was in 2018, the documents on record showed her wedding took place in April 2014. But reportedly she left after five days.

Orders passed by a Hisar Court in October 2015 showed that the woman received Rs. 10 Lakh (£10,800) from her then-husband.

The marriage was then dissolved by mutual consent.

Judge Singh declared that the state counsel’s stand was that the husband had joined the investigation and only certain gold trinkets were to be recovered.

The woman’s father made a statement in September 2018, claiming he was an SDO. But it was nullified by a seniority list obtained by the husband.

The list, which was acquired under the Right to Information Act, showed he actually worked as a craftsman.

Judge Singh ruled it was a case of making false accusations in return for a financial benefit.

He said:

“There is no cogent evidence to show any signs of unnatural sex have been performed with the complainant.”

“More so, it has now days become a trend in our society to fleece the husband side by levelling shocking allegations, which stir the conscience of the court, and the trend of slapping of Sections 376 and 377 IPC.”

Judge Singh added the woman’s claim that it was a lavish marriage appeared to be highly unlikely when considering her father’s economic status.