The Kerala High Court granted anticipatory bail to a 70-year-old widower, in a case were a 55-year-old widow had accused him of having a sexual relationship with her after a deceitful marriage.

The court while granting bail to George Albert of Perumanoor near Thevara in Ernakulam, on a case filed against him in Thiruvananthapuram, had expressed doubt over the woman’s complaint.

The woman had alleged that the widower falsely convinced her that they were married and registered legally.

In the complaint, she had said that the man tied a white thread around her neck to convince her that they were married.

Police had registered a case against George for rape, cheating, cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage (Section 493 of IPC), and marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage (Section 496).

“It is quite difficult to believe at this stage that the victim believed the words of the petitioner. Whether consent given by the victim for the sexual intercourse is vitiated is a question of fact. As of now, the allegations in the complaint can be accepted only with a pinch of salt. The petitioner is aged about 70 years,” the order stated, The New Indian Express reports.

The court said that George can be granted anticipatory bail by executing a bond of Rs 50,000.