Madras High Court: Live-in Partners Deserve 'Wife' Status for Protection

• The Madras High Court stated that women in live-in relationships should be granted 'wife' status for legal protection, especially when relationships fail after marriage promises.
• Justice S Srimathy of the Madurai Bench made this observation while denying anticipatory bail to a man accused of sexual relations under false marriage promises.
• The court likened live-in relationships to Gandharva marriages, emphasizing the judiciary's duty to protect vulnerable women in evolving social arrangements.
• Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalizes sexual intercourse obtained through deceptive marriage promises, was highlighted as applicable in such cases.
• The court noted that while live-in relationships are increasingly common, they pose a 'cultural shock' and leave women vulnerable without formal legal safeguards.

Why It Matters: Madras High Court advocates for legal protection for women in live-in relationships, equating their status to wives.