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 the legal status of a wife to ensure their rights and protection.
• This observation was made by the Madurai Bench during an anticipatory bail hearing for a man accused of reneging on a marriage promise after a live-in relationship.
• Justice Srimathy compared live-in relationships to Gandharva marriage, emphasizing the judiciary's role in protecting women in evolving social structures.
• The court highlighted that Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalizes sexual relations based on false promises of marriage, could apply to broken promises in live-in relationships.

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