INDORE: The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court has observed that live-in relationships ‘promote promiscuity and lascivious behaviour’ giving rise to sexual crimes.
Justice Subodh Abhyankar made the observations on April 12 while rejecting the bail plea of a 25-year-old man accused of raping a woman with whom he had had a live-in relationship, but broke off with her after she got engaged.
The applicant is also accused of blackmailing her with objectionable videos.
Times ViewThe Supreme Court has accepted live-in relationships as equivalent to marriage for most purposes. The observation made here seems out of sync with that position. There needs to be judicial consistency in such cases.
Justice Abhyankar said: “Taking note of the spurt of such offences in recent times arising out of live-in-relationships, this court is forced to observe that the bane of live-in relationship is a by-product of constitutional guarantee as provided under Article 21 of the Constitution, engulfing the ethos of Indian society, and promoting promiscuity and lascivious behaviour, giving further rise to sexual offences.”
“Those who wanted to exploit this freedom are quick to embrace it but are totally ignorant that it has its own limitations, and does not confer any right on any of the partners to such a relationship,” the judge said.
The applicant appears to have fallen into this trap, the court observed, rejecting the bail plea.
