Married man in live-in-relationship with another woman not a crime, clarifies HC

LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a case cannot be registered against a married man who is in a consensual live-in relationship with a woman. The court made the remarks while considering a criminal writ plea filed by Anamika and Netrapal, a live-in couple from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. They had filed a plea in the court seeking quashing the case filed on the complaint of the woman's mother.

Pointing out that law and morality are different, the court said Netrapal is not guilty under the law. The rights of citizens cannot be compromised according to the opinion of the society. The court ordered that the couple should not be arrested and that the woman's family should not harass the two. The woman's family should not enter the house where the couple lives. They should not have any direct contact with the couple. The court said the local police chief will be responsible for the couple's security. The order was issued by a division bench of Justice J J Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena. The next hearing in the plea will be considered on April 8.

The case was filed by Anamika's mother Kanti. In her complaint, Kanti alleged that her 18-year-old daughter was lured and taken away by the married man Netrapal. The couple told the court that they were adults and living together with mutual consent. The couple informed the court that there was a possibility of being a victim of honour killing and that the woman's parents had threatened them. The court then ordered police protection for the two.