Madras HC grants anticipatory bail to Rajalakshmi citing Section 82
The Madras High Court has given anticipatory bail to Rajalakshmi, who was accused of bigamy after marrying Mayakrishnan, unaware he was already married.
The court said the offender is the person who already has a living spouse; a person who is herself unmarried and marries such a person, without knowledge of the subsisting marriage, does not thereby become an offender under Section 82, so Rajalakshmi, who claimed she was deceived, shouldn't be held responsible under Section 82.
Court orders ₹25,000 bond for Rajalakshmi
Justice N Ramesh also examined whether cruelty charges under Section 85 applied, but decided Rajalakshmi wasn't a "relative" since she thought she was the legal wife.
They pointed out that both women were misled by Mayakrishnan.
For now, Rajalakshmi must post a ₹25,000 bond and report to police daily for four weeks while the investigation into Mayakrishnan continues.