The Delhi High Court recently issued summons in a ₹3 crore suit filed by a woman claiming to have been deceived by a man who allegedly continued a romantic relationship with her for about two years while fraudulently suppressing the fact that he had been married since 2019 [Ms X v. Koustav Dey].
The plaintiff claimed ₹ 3 crores as damages for the harm caused to her as a result of the defendant’s alleged fraud, deceit and deliberate misrepresentations regarding his intention to marry her.
Further, the plaintiff also urged the Court to direct the defendant to pay about ₹ 2.38 lakhs as actual costs incurred by the plaintiff during her interactions with the defendant in the course of their relationship between 2019 and 2021.
As a result of the defendant’s alleged deceit, the plaintiff said that she has suffered severe mental agony and hardship, and also had to undergo treatment. The plaintiff suffers from trust issues and finds it all the more difficult to work towards finding herself a life partner, it was submitted.
“The Defendant also owed responsibility and is liable for having Plaintiff’s prime marriageable years misspent in a duplicitous relationship with the Defendant,” the plaint stated.
The plaintiff also submitted that any amount of money awarded by the Court would be donated to charitable trusts or NGOs dealing with survivors of sexual offences and domestic violence.
By way of background, the plaintiff said that she had met the defendant when they were exchange students in Germany. As per the plaintiff, they commenced a romantic relationship in December 2016. While this relationship continued, the defendant is alleged to have gotten married to another woman in February 2019 at Bengaluru without the plaintiff’s knowledge.
“At no point in time between February 2019 (i.e. the time when the Defendant got married) till August 2021 did the Defendant indicate to the plaintiff that he was married,” the plaint said.
During this period, defendant not only continued to live a second life, but also pursued the plaintiff every time she wanted to call off the relationship, the plaintiff contended.
As part of an alleged pretense that the defendant wished to get married to the plaintiff, the defendant even visited the plaintiff’s family in Delhi, it was alleged.
Further, the plaintiff claimed that the defendant had taken to addressing the plaintiff’s family in familial terms. The plaintiff and defendant would also talk about their future, including plans of getting married and having babies, the plaint stated.
The plaintiff further submitted that since the defendant was not active on social media, the fact of his marriage was also not easily discernible to her. While the defendant’s wife uploaded pictures of the wedding on Facebook, there were no pictures of the groom, stated the plaint.
The defendant wanted keep his marriage a secret from common social circles and even from his own co-workers, it was contended.
Eventually, in August 2021, a friend reached out to the plaintiff with a picture of the defendant and his wife from a family function that the two had attended, as per the plaintiff. On further inquiries and after the plaintiff confronted the defendant about her suspicions, the defendant eventually admitted to having been married and living with his wife in Bengaluru since 2019.
The case will be heard again on April 20, 2023.
The plaint was filed through advocates Kriti Awasthi, Chaitanya Sundriyal and Siddharth Kaushal.
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