For 28-year-old Rohit (name changed), a homosexual man, the world has come crashing down. For years, he kept his relationship with his roommate a secret but his partner has now left him to marry a girl. Seeking justice, Rohit has approached a city court and filed a case against Ramesh (name changed) for alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust.
Rohit, who was preparing for his civil services exams, used to stay with Ramesh in a rented accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar for the past four years. According to Rohit, the two came close to each other during the period.
They committed themselves to each other and promised to live as a couple. Ramesh had even promised Rohit that he would not marry anyone else.
Filing the complaint under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 407 (criminal breach of trust) and 506 (criminal intimidation) in the rohini metropolitan magistrate court, Rohit’s lawyer Amit Kumar stated in his plea that his client belonged to a very well-to-do and affluent family, and had spent a lot of money on Ramesh thinking that they would end up together.
“Having been induced by Ramesh’s false assurances, Rohit also got involved physically with him many times,” Amit told DNA. Kumar further alleged that Ramesh, after staying for four long years in the same house in the Mukherjee Nagar area, fled to Meerut on the pretext of some family problems and married one Rita Sharma on June 28 this year.
Rohit is also in the process of filing a civil suit for damages for the emotional harassment Ramesh caused him. The court, after taking note of the criminal complaint filed by Rohit, fixed the matter for further hearing till September 20. Rohit said that Ramesh got a job in Ghaziabad as a teacher.
On July 2, 2009, the Delhi high court had struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), calling it a violation of an individual’s rights to freedom under Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution, in cases dealing with gay sex, provided it is by consent of both individuals.
