The Indian government recently introduced a new law that allows for punishments of up to 10 years in prison and fines.

The Indian government recently introduced a new law that could punish men who commit acts of deceit, such as promising to marry a woman, breaking off her marriage after having sex or falsely promising to elevate her status under false pretenses, with up to 10 years in prison and fines.

However, questions have been raised about what standards the new law will apply, whether the law can effectively protect women from sexual exploitation and whether someone can take advantage of the break, CNN reported on June 10 (local time).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a new penal code in early July, replacing a 164-year-old penal code from India’s colonial era. In India, which has a sexually conservative outlook, premarital or extramarital sex remains taboo.

The Modi government has introduced a new bill aimed at clearing up the confusion created by conflicting Supreme Court case law on men who unilaterally separate after promising to marry and have sex.

A court recently ruled in 2019 that the woman did not constitute rape because she continued the relationship even though she knew the problem might arise. However, in another case that same year, the court found a man who broke his marriage promise and married another woman guilty of rape and sentenced him to 10 years in prison and a fine of 50,000 rupees (about 810,000 won).

Audrey DeMelo, director of Majlis Law, a women’s rights NGO in India, supported the new law, saying: “Incidents of marriage and rape have not been reported properly and need to be addressed through law.”

However, some lawyers worry that the law will be problematic to enforce, as the law’s application standards are ambiguous, making it difficult to prove false marriage vows in court. Experts criticized the new bill for shifting the burden of proof to the victim.

Some young Indians are sceptical and question whether the legislation is appropriate at a time when the tradition of arranged marriages and conservative attitudes towards premarital sex are changing.

Opinions were also divided on social media. Supporters welcomed the new law because it protects women’s rights and guarantees equal status with men. However, there are also concerns that the new law could be abused.