Mumbai Man Accused Of Hiding Multiple Marriages, HC Denies Bail

The Bombay High Court has refused pre-arrest bail to a man accused of cheating by his wife, who claimed he hid four previous marriages. Justice Sarang Kotwal stated the offence of cheating is clearly made out apart from other offences. The wife discovered his past marriages after meeting on a matrimonial site, marrying in June 2022. Post-marriage, he sought financial help, and she provided Rs 7 lakh, with her ornament pledged for a Rs 32 lakh loan. In December, she learned of his affair, leading her to return to her parental home in January 2023.

High Court Denies Bail in Complex Matrimonial Deceit Case

The HC was hearing a plea by Shantilal Kharat, seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered by the Rasayani police station in Raigad last year, on a complaint filed by his wife.

The FIR, filed on August 7, 2023, included charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, bigamy, cruelty, and criminal intimidation. The man's advocate argued that the allegations were false, claiming he only married the complainant after his first wife's death. However, the wife's advocate presented documents showing his multiple marriages and birth certificates naming him as the father.

Justice Kotwal noted two birth certificates from 2009, each with a different mother but listing the man as the father. The court also highlighted a 2008 mutual consent divorce proceeding and another pending since 2018. Justice Kotwal concluded there was sufficient evidence of the man's deceitful history, including cheating on multiple women, all concealed from the current wife. Consequently, the court rejected the man's application for bail.

This case underscores the complexity of the accusations, involving financial deception, multiple marriages, and the concealment of crucial information. The court's decision reflects a careful examination of evidence, highlighting inconsistencies in the man's defense and emphasising the seriousness of the charges.