Delhi High Court Grants Protection to Live-In Couple Facing Threats from Family

The Delhi High Court has ruled that a live-in relationship between consenting adults is akin to marriage and that neither parents nor relatives have the right to interfere with their personal choices or threaten their lives.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee granted police protection to a couple who moved the court after facing threats from the woman's family. In an order passed on August 13, the court observed that as consenting adults, the individuals possess the full right to choose and reside with a partner of their choice without outside interference.

The court emphasized that marriages and adult relationships are recognized irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion, or faith. Justice Banerjee noted that curtailing fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution on the basis of societal morals and prejudices amounts to a deprivation of an individual's very identity.

Addressing the situation of the petitioners directly, the court noted that since both individuals willingly, consensually, and responsibly decided to enter into a live-in relationship, third parties have no legal authority to intervene or cause any hindrance to their lives.

The bench stated that nobody, whether parents, relatives, or friends, has the right or authority to interfere with their choice, much less threaten their life or liberty.

The court further observed that although the petitioners are in a live-in arrangement and are not legally married to each other, their status as consenting adults makes the union akin to marriage under the law for the purpose of protecting their fundamental liberties.

Following these observations, the court ordered that adequate security and police protection be extended to the couple to safeguard their life and personal liberty against any threats from family members.