In a similar case, on August 12, 2021, Rajasthan High Court again termed the live-in relationship between a man and a married woman “illicit”.
In this case, as well, the same court of Justice Sharma in its order denied the petitioners’ request for police protection. In a joint plea, filed by a 30-year-old married woman and a 27-year-old man from the Jhunjhunu district, petitioners had said that they are being threatened by the respondents and their lives are in danger.
The petition mentioned that the woman is married but has been forced to live separately because of physical abuse by her husband. The advocate of the petitioners told the court that both the petitioners are adults and are consensually in a live-in relationship which is why they are receiving threats and need police protection.
The order by the court rejected the request for police protection. The court order written in Hindi reads; "The woman is yet to get a divorce but despite that she is in a live-in relationship with petitioner number 2, which is illicit. Granting police protection to the petitioners would amount to indirectly giving permission to such illicit relationships."
The Allahabad High Court had recently observed that a live-in relationship cannot be at the cost of the social fabric of this country. While dismissing the protection plea of a married woman staying in a live-in relationship with her partner, the court called it illicit. A division bench of Justices Kaushal Jayendra Thaker and Subhash Chandra had observed, “Directing the police to grant protection to them may indirectly give our assent to such illicit relations.”