SC Grants Protection To Live-in Couple After HC Called Their Plea 'Morally & Socially Unacceptable'

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Punjab Police to grant protection to the live-in couple whose plea was earlier dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana high court

SC Grants Protection To Live-in Couple After HC Called Their Plea 'Morally & Socially Unacceptable'

New Delhi: In a breakthrough judgment, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered Punjab Police to grant protection to the live-in couple whose plea was earlier dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana high court, LiveLaw reported.

The bench of Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Ajay Rastogi ordered: “Needless to state that since it concerns life and liberty, the superintendent of police is required to act expeditiously in accordance with law, including the grant of any protection to the petitioners in view of the apprehensions/ threats, uninfluenced by the observations of the high court.”

On May 11, while hearing the couple’s plea, Justice H.S. Madaan of the Punjab and Haryana high court described such relationships as “morally and socially unacceptable”. The court had even said that the entire social fabric of the society would get disturbed, and hence, the couple couldn’t be granted protection.

In a country where girls are not even allowed to visit a grocery shop without being accompanied by a male, be it her 4 yr old brother or 80 yr old grandfather, taking a decision and living with the person you love is obviously taboo. While many might argue that in this 21st century women are not forced to live with such boundations but those people need to break the bubble and see the experiences of women in their families.

Yes, women are still not allowed to make their career choices or life choices in most parts of the country but a lady dared to take such action in Punjab and she had to approach the court to get protection as society did not allow her to lead her life in peace.

In a similar incident, the Allahabad High Court recently granted interim protection to a couple in a live relationship observing that no one should interfere with their "peaceful living", as reported by the Bar and Bench.

According to the report, the couple appeared before the High court to restrain their relatives from interfering with their lives.

The couple submitted a petition stating that even though they are not formally married, yet they are living together as a couple peacefully on their own free will as both of them are of the age of majority on the basis of their High School certificates.

The court analysed the documents and announced that both people in the relationship are adults so they should be allowed to live peacefully.