Provide protection to ‘live-in couple’: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Such a relationship does it amount to commission of any offence, it says

Allowing a petition filed by a “live-in couple”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Haryana police to provide appropriate protection, if found necessary, and ensure that no harm comes either to the lives or liberty of the petitioners. Justice Sudhir Mittal in an order on May 18 observed that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. “Right to life and liberty is enshrined therein and is treated as a basic feature. The said right includes the right of an individual to full development of his-her potential in accordance with his-her choice and wish and for such purpose, he-she is entitled to choose a partner of his-her choice,” he noted. “The individual also has the right to formalise the relationship with the partner through marriage or to adopt the non-formal approach of a live-in relationship. The concept of live-in-relationships has crept into our society from western nations and initially, found acceptance in the metropolitan cities, probably because, individuals felt that formalisation of a relationship through marriage was not necessary for complete fulfilment. Education played a great role in development of this concept. Slowly, the concept has percolated into small towns and villages also as is evident from this petition. This shows that social acceptance for live-in-relationships is on the increase,” he said.