Not illegal… state’s duty to protect: 12 women in live-in relationships get court shield
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Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has made it clear that live-in relationship cannot be called illegal, adding that unmarried status of a couple does not deprive them of their fundamental rights.
The court’s response came while responding to the petitions of 12 women in live-in relationships who sought protection fearing threat to their lives.
Further the court ordered the police chiefs of the respective districts to provide protection to the petitioners in the event someone disturbs their peaceful living.
The single bench of Justice Vivek Kumar Singh on Wednesday said: ‘The concept of a live-in relationship may not be acceptable to all, but it cannot be said that such a relationship is an illegal one or that living together without the sanctity of the marriage constitutes an offence.’
The petitioners alleged that police had not paid any attention to their request when they approached.
The court put together all the writ petitions that sought the court’s direction to police to provide protection from causing harm from their family members, relatives or associates.
The court stated: ‘Since the controversy involved in all the writ petitions is similar, they are being decided by a common judgment.’
The government counsel argued: ‘Live-in relationships cannot be accepted at the cost of our country’s social fabric. These parties are not bound by any law, and either of the partners can walk out of the said relationship as and when they like… It is a contract… renewed every day by the parties and can be terminated by either of the parties without the consent of the other party… There is no legal status of such a relationship, the legal status of the children born out of such a relationship would not be determined, and it will create a lot of complications in the life of live-in partners. Therefore, before seeking any relief from the court, they should marry first.’
