Unmarried Couple Living In Same Hotel Room Not A Crime: Madras HC

The Madras High Court has recently ruled that an unmarried couple living in a hotel room would not account for a criminal offense. The HC observed this in reference to the fact that a live-in relationship of two adults is not deemed to be an offense. The decision came after a hotel in Coimbatore was sealed when an unmarried couple was found occupying a room in the same.

Key Takeaways:

• Occupation of a hotel room by an unmarried couple cannot be termed as a criminal offense, Madras High Court ruled. 
• The decision came after a hotel in Coimbatore was sealed after an unmarried couple was found occupying a room in the same.
• Since live-in-relationship is not an offense, a couple living in a hotel room too is not a criminal offense.
• Police had found an unmarried couple and some liquor bottles in a room there in June this year, which led to the sealing of the hotel.

“Apparently, there are no laws or regulations forbearing unmarried persons of the opposite sex to occupy hotel rooms as guests,” - Justice M S Ramesh

Hotel Sealed After Unmarried Couple Found Living In Room

Back in June, police were alerted about some immoral activities going on in a hotel in Coimbatore. When police raided the hotel, they found an unmarried couple in a room along with some bottles of liquor. Thereby, the police sealed the hotel, according to The News Minute.

A petition was filed and the hotel was sealed by the police without any prior notification. The petition read that the action was taken only on the basis of viral messages on WhatsApp.

However, the Madras High Court has directed the police to de-seal the hotel since live-in is not a criminal offense and so applies to the unmarried couple living in the hotel. “Apparently, there are no laws or regulations forbearing unmarried persons of the opposite sex to occupy hotel rooms as guests,” Justice M S Ramesh said in a recent order. According to the petitioner, the “My preferred Transformation and Hospitality Private Limited” of Gurgaon in Haryana, it was running Hire Service apartment at the premises in Coimbatore.

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Petition Against Illegal Sealing Of Hotel

A petition was filed and the hotel was sealed by the police without any prior notification. The petition read that the action was taken only on the basis of viral messages on WhatsApp.

A similar incident took place a few weeks ago when a Muslim man and a Hindu woman, while on their official trip, were denied a room to stay in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The man was actually on an official trip. The woman, who was his friend for the last 13 years, was coming from Delhi to Jaipur for some work. Since both of them were reaching the city at the approximately same time, they decided to meet and stay together. The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, told The Hindu, “Since both of us had to reach Jaipur at almost the same time, we decided to meet and stay together during the day.”

Picture Credit: The Financial Express

Also Read: Hotel Reportedly Denies Room To Friends From Different Religions And Gender