Every major person has right to live with person of choice: Punjab & Haryana High Court grants protection to live-in couple

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has held that every major person has the right to live with a person of their choice and that if such relationship is opposed by relatives, courts should pass orders protecting them. [Manjeet Kaur v. State of Punjab].Justice Vikas Bahl said that the right to life and liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India is one of the most basic rights."It goes without saying that protection of life and liberty is a basic feature of the Constitution of India. Every person, more so, a major, has the right to live his or her life with a person of his or her choice. At any rate, whenever this Court, prima-facie, is satisfied that on account of some relatives or persons being unhappy with the relationship between the petitioners, could cause harm their life and liberty, then in such circumstances, the Courts are required to pass necessary directions for their protection," the order stated..The Court was hearing a plea filed by a live-in couple seeking protection as they apprehended a threat to their lives from their relatives. The man in this relationship was already married and was living with the petitioner woman without divorcing his first wife. They had approached the Punjab Police seeking protection on September 13, but the authorities had not decided on their application..After noting the facts of the case, Justice Bahl referred to the judgment of the same High Court in Pardeep Singh v. State of Haryana. In that case, while granting protection to a live-in couple, the Court had observed that the concept of live-in relationships has crept into our society and has been accepted in metropolitan cities. "Thus, this Court is of the view that even if the petitioners are living in a “Live in Relationship”, they are entitled to protection of life and liberty," the judge opined. .The judge thus ordered the Punjab Police to act in accordance with law on the application filed by the couple seeking protection, after assessing the threat perception to them. .Advocates Akshita Charak and Sahil Goel appeared for the petitioner couple. Deputy Advocate General Tarun Aggarwal represented the State. .[Read order]