Live In Relationship In Indian Society Amounts To Marriage: Rajasthan HC

According to Rajasthan High Court, Balram Jhakar cannot tie the nuptial knot on 7th May. Reason? His live-in partner has filed a petition against him.

The Case

The couple had met in 2014 when the duo was employed as teachers in a private school at Jhunjhunu. According to the petitioner, Balram had forced her into getting into a relationship with him and even cohabited with her on the false assurance of marriage. Due to this, the petitioner had left her husband.

Balram was later selected as an income tax inspector and is set to marry on 7th May. The petitioner, on realising that he has broken his promise, filed a petition against him asking them to stop him from entering into a second marriage as it will spoil the petitioner's future.

Balram was later selected as an income tax inspector and is set to marry on 7th May. The petitioner, on realising that he has broken his promise, filed a petition against him asking them to stop him from entering into a second marriage as it will spoil the petitioner's future.

The Judgement

Delivering the judgement, Justice Sanjeev Prakash remarked," Live-in relationship in Indian society amounts to marriage and the society recognises it only as marriage and not in any other form. Therefore, Balram cannot be allowed to enter into a second marriage as is going to spoil the petitioner's future"

He also directed Balram not to marry any other person. The court has issued notices to Balram, his fiancé, the Principal Secretary and Jhunjhunu District Collector.

"We have also submitted that Balram tried to enter into a sexual relationship with my client. An FIR in this regard was lodged at Sadar police station on February, 2018. However, on subsequent assurance made by the accused, the girl gave a statement in the court of ACJM No16, Jaipur Metropolitan that she does not want to take up the case for further proceedings. Thus a final report of the case was submitted in the court." Ved Pal Shastri, counsel for the petitioner, told TOI.

"We have put on record hotel bills, WhatsApp chats and other documentary proof to establish the fact that both were having a live-in relationship for at least 5 years from 2014.”

"We have put on record hotel bills, WhatsApp chats and other documentary proof to establish the fact that both were having a live-in relationship for at least 5 years from 2014.” Shastri said.

Other Incidents

In yet another incident where a live-in relationship turned sour, a man set his live-in girlfriend ablaze after indulging in heated arguments.

On 12th April, the couple got into an argument. Post this, the man poured kerosene on the woman and set her ablaze. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. According to sources, the lady was already married. She had got married to a person by name, Muqtar 10 years back. However, she was in a live-in relationship with this man for past 2 years.

Last week, a 32-year-old Delhi school teacher hired a contract killer. She wanted to get her husband killed. The real motive of getting rid of him was that she wanted to live in with her boyfriend.

“The couple shared a strained relationship and Preeti was in love with 30-year-old Rahul Jain, a garments trader in Sonepat in Haryana. Preeti wanted to live with Rahul and planned her husband’s murder with him,” said Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (north-east). The autopsy report had revealed that he was strangled.

Pic credit: India TV