Allahabad High Court turned down a request for protection from a couple living together without being married. The court discovered that both partners were already married to other people and hadn't legally divorced them. The judge, Justice Renu Agarwal, explained that the law doesn't support relationships like theirs. According to the Hindu Marriage Act, you can't marry someone else if your spouse is still alive or if you haven't gotten a divorce.
The court was worried that allowing these kinds of relationships would cause chaos in society and harm the country's social fabric. The couple had filed a petition asking for protection under Article 226 of the Constitution. During the hearing, it came to light that the man's legal wife showed up with her ID card, proving they were married. The woman in the live-in relationship also admitted in writing that she was married to someone else.
The court also learned that the woman had children with her legal husband but hadn't gotten a divorce. Because of all this, the court said their living arrangement was illegal and rejected their request for protection. They were also fined Rs. 2000 to be paid to the Allahabad High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre.