Increasing numbers of sexual crimes are caused by live-in relationships: High Court

Increasing incidents of sexual offences and promiscuity are being caused by the "bane of live-in relationships", the Madhya Pradesh High Court said.

A 25-year-old man accused of raping a woman was denied anticipatory bail by Judge Subodh Abhyankar of the Indore bench of the high court.

Indore : In the order dated April 12, the court said, "Taking note of the spurt of such offences in recent times arising out of live-in relationships, this court is forced to observe that the bane of live-in-relationship is a by-product of Constitutional guarantee as provided under Art. 21, engulfing the ethos of Indian society, and promoting lascivious behaviour, giving further rise to sexual offences."

According to Article 21, each individual has the right to life and personal liberty. Over the years, the courts have widened their ambit to include a variety of rights including the right to dignity and privacy.

The high court stated that live-in relationships are causing an increase in legal disputes and also added "Those who wanted to exploit this freedom are quick to embrace it but are totally ignorant that it has its own limitations, and does not confer any right on any of the partners to such relationship."

The case diary and documents revealed that the complainant woman fell pregnant more than twice and aborted the fetus while living with the applicant (her former partner), the trial court noted. In the aftermath of their relationship breaking up, the woman got engaged to another person, but the applicant, "as a jilted lover," started blackmailing her, the judge said.

The court noted that the applicant even sent video messages suggesting that he would commit suicide and the woman's in-laws would also bear the brunt of it, as well as the woman's family.

This led to the cancellation of the woman's marriage, the high court said, citing the prosecution's case.