Live-in relationships are against interest of women and middle-class norms: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court recently observed that live-in relationships that have gone sour eventually turn into legal battles before courts because such relationships go against values held by Indian middle-class society..The Court made the observation while granting bail to a man accused of sexually exploiting a woman under a false promise of marriage.A Bench of Justice Siddharth said that ever since live-in relationships were 'legalised' by the Supreme Court, courts have been flooded with such cases."This Court finds that after live-in-relationship has been legalized by the Apex Court, the Court had fed up such cases. These cases are coming to the Court because the concept of live-in-relationship is against the settled law in the Indian Middle Class Society (sic)," the Court said. .The judge added that women suffer more, when compared to men, when live-in relationships end. "The concept of live-in-relationship goes against the interest of the women since a man can marry even after live-in-relationship (with) a woman or number of women but it is difficult for the women to find a life partner after a breakup," Justice Siddharth noted. .The Court was hearing the bail plea by one Shane Alam, who was charged under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), for allegedly having a sexual relationship with the victim on the basis of a false promise that he would marry her. He later refused to marry the victim, according to the complaint. The informant’s counsel, Madhu Yadav, argued that the accused’s actions had ruined the victim's life, as it would now be difficult for her to find a suitable match for marriage.The Court noted that while younger generations are very attracted to the concept of live-in relationships, their adverse after-effects can be seen in cases like the present one..The Court eventually granted the accused man bail. Advocate Satish Chandra Singh appeared for the bail applicant/ accused. .[Read Order]