Prayagraj,

27 March (HS): The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a married man living in

a consensual live-in relationship with an adult woman does not constitute a

criminal crime. A division bench of Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena

issued a comment while awarding two petitioners in the case temporary

protection from arrest. The judge stayed their arrest, stating that there is no

crime in which a married man lives with an adult woman in a live-in

relationship with her agreement. Morality and law must remain distinct. If

there is no legal offense, societal ideas and morals will not lead the court. The

issue came before the court after the woman's mother filed a FIR stating that

the man had taken her 18-year-old daughter away.

According

to the petition, the victim had written to the Shahjahanpur Superintendent of

Police (SP) indicating that she is an adult living with the man of her own free

will in a live-in relationship. She also claimed that her family members were

opposed to the connection and had threatened her with death, increasing the

possibility of an honour killing. According to reports, her concern was not

addressed. After hearing both sides, the court permitted two weeks for

submitting a counter-affidavit and scheduled the case for April 8. The bench

directed that no coercive action be taken against the petitioners until further

rulings are issued.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi