"Married While Hiding HIV Status"...Woman Claims She Was Deliberately Infected
In India, a man allegedly infected a woman with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after hiding the fact that he was HIV-positive and entering into a relationship with her on the promise of marriage.
The victim personally submitted a petition to police, demanding a fair investigation and strict punishment.
According to local media, including Jagran News, a woman identified as A in Dhenkanal, Odisha, India, dated a man identified as B with marriage in mind.
A later learned that B was infected after she tested positive for HIV during a health checkup.
A claimed that B knew he was already infected with HIV but did not tell her.
A demanded that B marry her and take responsibility, but the man reportedly refused, citing differences in Caste status and opposition from his family.
A also told police that B may have had similar relationships with other women as well, promising marriage to them too.
Police, however, said that no such facts have been confirmed so far.
B was arrested on charges of obtaining sex under false promises of marriage, but was later released on bail by the court.
A said that after B was released on bail, he pressured her to withdraw the complaint, and she asked police to conduct a fair investigation and take legal action.
Police are now conducting further investigations into the case based on the woman’s complaint.
Experts explained that if someone has sex while deliberately hiding an HIV infection, they may face criminal punishment under relevant laws. However, whether punishment is actually imposed depends on a comprehensive review of factors such as awareness of the infection, intent, and causation.
