In a landmark judgement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that a couple has the right to live together even if the boy hasn’t achieved marriageable age, provided both partners are major and have attained the age of 18. This was in response to a plea filed by a Punjab couple. Read on to know more.
It all started when a 19-year-old boy and a 21-year-old girl from Punjab wanted to get married, but the girl’s family was against their relationship. She was severely beaten and confined to a room without her cellphone after their relationship was discovered by her parents, reports Times Now.
However, she managed to escape on December 20 and started living with the boy. The couple together filed a plea seeking police protection as they were facing threats from the girl’s family. But when the SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) did not act on their plea, they approached the court.
Following this, Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that the adult couple can live together even when the man hasn’t achieved marriageable age. Their right to live together cannot be denied as they are within the boundaries of the law.
As per The Indian Express, the order given by a bench of Justice Alka Sarin states, “The society cannot determine how an individual should live her or his life. The Constitution guarantees every individual the right to life. The freedom to choose one’s partner is an important facet of the right to life. In the present case, the girl’s parents cannot dictate how and with whom she should spend her life since she is an adult. Parents cannot compel a child to live life on their terms.”
The bench also directed Fatehgarh Sahib SSP to not only look into the couple’s plea, but also provide protection to them.
The order also added, “Petitioner No.1 (the girl) in the present case is more than 18 years of age and is a major. She is well within her right to decide for herself what is good for her and what is not. She has decided to take a step to be in a live-in-relationship with petitioner No.2 (the boy) who is also major, though may not be of marriageable age. Be that as it may, the fact remains that both the petitioners in the present case are major and have a right to live their life on their own terms.”
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