Adult Couples Can Live Together Before Legal Age of Marriage: high court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the right of an adult couple to live together cannot be denied just because the man is not yet of legal age to marry. Everyone has the right to life.

Noting that "parents cannot force a child to live on their own terms and that every adult has the right to live their life as they see fit", the High Court upheld the right of a couple to live in a live-in relationship. Kept.

Clearly, he is an adult, the court said. Just due to the fact that the applicant No. 2 is not of marriageable age, the applicant may not be prevented from exercising his fundamental rights envisaged under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The applicant has decided to live together in a live-in relationship as both are adults and there may not be any legal reason for the defendants to object to it.

A bench of Justice Alka Sareen was hearing a criminal writ petition filed on behalf of the petitioners. In which he demanded that the fundamental right to life and liberty granted to defendant No. 4-6 under Article 21 of the Constitution of India be protected.

Fact in a nutshell

The two petitioners before the court are adults and have known each other since last year and want to marry each other.

Allegedly, the parents of petitioner No. 1 beat her severely and decided to marry her against her will, imprisoning her in a room. His mobile phone was snatched and he was threatened with death if he had any relationship with the applicant number 2 (boy).

The girl left home on December 20, 2020 to live with a boy who had not yet reached the age of marriage and was living in a live-in relationship. However, their relationship from defendant number 4 to 6 (female relatives) is not acceptable and they are threatening the applicants to suffer dire consequences.

Petitioner's counsel claimed that the lives and liberties of the petitioners were in serious danger at the hands of 4 to 6 (female relatives) of the defendants. It is further stated that the petitioners have also submitted their representations to the Senior Superintendent of Police, District Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, however, no action has been taken.