Uttarakhand High Court grants protection to live-in couple subject to registration under Uniform Civil Code

The Uttarakhand High Court recently granted police protection to an inter-faith couple in a live-in relationship subject to the condition that they register their relationship under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) of Uttarakhand within 48 hours..The petitioners approached the Court seeking protection, claiming they are an inter-faith couple in a live-in relationship and were being threatened by the girl's parents and brother.A Bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit relied on Supreme Court judgment in Lata Singh v State of UP (protection to inter-faith couples) and directed that the police should provide protection to the couple if they apply for registration of their relationship under the UCC."We dispose of the writ petition by providing that if petitioners apply for registration under the aforesaid Act within 48 hours, the SHO, PS Dalanwala, Dehradun shall provide adequate protection to petitioners for a period of six weeks to ensure that no harm is caused to them from the private respondents or any other person acting on their behest. Upon expiry of six weeks, SHO concerned shall look into the threat perception to petitioners and take appropriate action, as deemed necessary," the Court directed..Section 378 of the the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 talks about the submission of statement by partners to a live-in relationship and states:"(1) It shall be obligatory for partners to a live-in relationship within the State, whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, to submit a statement of live-in relationship under sub-section (1) of section 381 to the Registrar within whose jurisdiction they are so living.”.During the hearing, the counsel for State informed the Bench that the Uniform Civil Code in force in Uttarakhand requires partners in a live-in relationship to register with the appropriate registrar.The couple had not complied with the said requirement, he pointed out.The counsel for the petitioners then submitted that they would apply under the relevant provisions of the Uniform Civil Code..With these observations, the Court directed the couple to register their relationship under the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024.Advocate Mohd Matlub represented petitioners.Advocate General JS Virk and Advocate RK Joshi appeared for respondent..[Read Order]