Live-in relationships are not a crime: Allahabad High Court steps in to protect live-in couples

The Allahabad High Court has made one thing very clear: live-in relationships may not be socially accepted by everyone, but they are not against the law. On December 17, 2025, the court asked the Uttar Pradesh police to protect 12 live-in couples who said they were being threatened by their families because of their choice to live together.


The order was passed by Justice Vivek Kumar Singh after hearing petitions from 12 women from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. These women told the court that their decision to live with their partners had put them in danger, leaving them with no option but to seek legal help.

The court clearly said that living together without getting married is not a crime. If two adults willingly choose to be with each other, no one else has the right to interfere in their personal lives—not family members, not society.






To back this up, the court referred to the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. This law protects women who are in a domestic relationship, even if they are not legally married. The court pointed out that the law doesn’t limit protection only to “wives,” which shows that live-in partners are also covered.


Justice Singh also stressed that once two adults decide to live together, they have the right to live peacefully. It is the duty of the State to protect the life and personal freedom of every citizen, regardless of their relationship status.

The court went on to say that basic rights like dignity and safety do not depend on whether someone is married or not. Being unmarried does not take away a person’s constitutional rights.


It also mentioned that under Indian law, if a couple has lived together for a long time like a married couple, the law can presume them to be married. This rule exists mainly to protect women and children in such relationships.


Keeping all this in mind, the High Court directed the authorities to make sure that the couples who approached the court are given proper protection.