Recently, the Allahabad High Court said that a couple can live together if they want to. They also said that nobody, not even their parents or anyone else, can stop them from living peacefully together.
If someone tries to disturb their peaceful life, the couple can go to the local police chief with a copy of the court’s order, and the police will protect them right away.
Referring to the rulings of the Supreme Court, the single judge bench said, “…it is clear that a boy or girl, who have attained majority, is free to marry or live with a person of his/her choice and no one including his/her parents or anyone on their behalf can interfere in their right to freedom of choosing a partner which emanates from Right to Life and Personal Liberty guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.”
The court also rejected the argument made by the state’s lawyer, who referred to a previous decision of the high court in the case of Kiran Rawat and another vs. State of UP (2023). The court clarified that after examining the judgment in that case, it was clear that the court did not say that couples living together in a live-in relationship couldn’t get court protection. Instead, in that particular case, the court had refused protection due to some unique circumstances.
This recent court order came in response to a plea filed by an interfaith couple. They requested the court to instruct a private party not to interfere with their peaceful cohabitation. The couple’s lawyer argued that both individuals were adults, and they were living together of their own free will in a peaceful live-in relationship.