Top court ordered protection to live-in-couples, which HC dismissed previously

The top court has ordered senior police officials in Punjab and Haryana to review a petition filed by two live-in couples seeking safety for their lives without being swayed by observations made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had previously dismissed their petition.

Last month, the High Court issued two separate decisions, stating that providing protection to consenting individuals would "disturb the entire social fabric of society" because "live-in relationships are neither socially nor ethically acceptable."

In his appeal to the Supreme Court, counsel Abhimanyu Tewari, who represented the two petitioners, argued that the couples are consenting adults who want to marry. Though they were on the run since their families were against their relationship and had threatened to kill them.

The Vacation Bench of Justices Navin Sinha and Ajay Rastogi, in hearing their appeals, remarked that the subject involved persons' lives and liberty. In April of this year, a couple in Punjab wrote to the Senior Superintendent of Police, District Tarn Taran, requesting protection. At the same time, the couple filed a second appeal with the SSP in Jind, Haryana, requesting the same protection.

The two couples were allowed to augment their statements to the Superintendent of Police after the bench reviewed the representations made to the police in the two petitions. “Because it involves life and liberty, the Superintendent of Police is expected to respond promptly in line with the law, along with the award of any protection to the petitioners in light of the apprehensions/threats, uninfluenced by the observations of the High Court,” it read.

“The Petitioners in the pretence of bringing the present petition are seeking seal of approval on their live-in-relationship, which is morally and socially not acceptable, therefore no protection order in the Petition can be passed,” the Punjab and Haryana HC ruled on 11th May.

“In the decided opinion of this bench, if such protection as demanded is given, the entire social fabric of the society would be disturbed,” another bench of the HC remarked a day later, whilst dealing with the Jind couple's appeal.