Jaipur, December 4 (Udaipur Kiran): The Rajasthan High Court has held that adult men and women who have not yet attained marriageable age can live together by mutual consent. The court directed the nodal officer to decide the representation submitted by the petitioners as per law and to provide security to them if required.
Justice Anoop Kumar passed this order while hearing a petition filed by an 18-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man seeking protection.
The court observed that live-in relationships are neither illegal nor a criminal offence. It said that protecting the life and liberty of every citizen is the responsibility of the state. The court further held that the right to life is above the question of whether a person has attained marriageable age or not. Merely because the petitioners have not reached marriageable age, they cannot be deprived of their fundamental rights. The court also stated that objections from society or family cannot in any manner restrict the fundamental rights of the petitioners.
During the hearing, advocate Satyam Khandelwal submitted that the 18-year-old woman and 19-year-old man wish to marry each other, but since the man has not yet reached marriageable age, they want to live together in a live-in relationship till that time. For this purpose, they had also executed a live-in relationship agreement on October 27. It was stated in the petition that the woman’s family members are opposing the relationship and are issuing death threats.
The petitioners had approached the nodal officer, the Station House Officer of Kunadi police station, Kota, on November 13 and 17 seeking protection, but no action was taken. Therefore, they approached the High Court for security.
Opposing the plea, government advocate Vivek Chaudhary argued that as per law, the marriageable age is 21 years for a man and 18 years for a woman. Since the male petitioner is only 19 years old, he cannot marry and also cannot live in a live-in relationship. After hearing both sides, the court issued directions to the nodal officer accordingly.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
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