Deceit without dishonest inducement not cheating, says High Court

The complainant had alleged that she was in a relationship with the accused (petitioner) since 1997. According to her, he promised marriage, engaged in sexual relations and coerced her into undergoing an abortion

- SOUMYADIP MULLICK

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has acquitted a man previously convicted of cheating, ruling that a mere deceitful act does not amount to the offence of cheating unless accompanied by dishonest inducement that leads to the delivery of property.

The bench of Justice Prasenjit Biswas delivered the judgment, setting aside the 2015 conviction of the petitioner by the Additional Sessions Judge, 5th Court, Barasat. The trial court had sentenced the petitioner to three years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,00,000, with an additional one year of imprisonment in default of payment.