Allahabad High Court: Consensual Live-In With Married Man Not a Criminal Offence

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a married man staying in a live-in relationship with an adult woman by consent does not constitute a criminal offence.

A Division Bench of Justices JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena emphasized that social morality and legal principles must be kept separate, stating that courts are guided by the law rather than public opinion when protecting citizens' rights.

The Court granted protection to a couple facing death threats from the woman's family and restrained the police from arresting them in a kidnapping case registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

[Anamika & Anr. v. The State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors.]