'Live-in relationships go against Indian middle-class norms': Allahabad High Court in bail ruling

Allahabad: In a strongly worded observation, the Allahabad High Court has said that live-in relationships, though legalised by the Supreme Court, are inconsistent with the "settled law in the Indian middle-class society" and often lead to exploitation and legal complications.

The remarks came from Justice Siddharth while granting bail to Shane Alam, a man accused of engaging in sexual relations with a woman under the false promise of marriage. He was booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act. According to the prosecution, the relationship involved a minor and was non-consensual under law.

Justice Siddharth noted the growing number of such cases flooding the courts post the Supreme Court’s recognition of live-in relationships. He stated that while the concept may attract the youth, it leads to serious legal and social consequences — particularly for women, who often find themselves ostracised or unable to find a partner after such relationships end.

“The concept of live-in-relationship goes against the interest of women,” the judge wrote in his order, pointing out the double standard where men move on easily, even remarry, while women are left to deal with the fallout.

The woman’s counsel argued that the accused had “ruined her life,” and societal norms made future marriage prospects bleak. The defence claimed that both had travelled together and that the accused had no prior criminal record.

Despite these observations, the court granted bail to Alam, noting that he had been in custody since February and the investigation was complete.

The case underscores the ongoing societal tension between evolving legal recognition of relationships and traditional cultural norms in India’s conservative middle-class setup. The court’s remarks have already sparked public debate around gender, law, and morality in modern Indian relationships.