Live-in relations: Rights panel asks Rajasthan to enact law to secure women''s rights

Yash Goyal
Tribune News Service 
Jaipur, September 5 

State Human Rights Commission Bench Chairman Justice Prakash Tatia has asked the Rajasthan Government to enact a law on live-in relationships to secure the right of women to lead a dignified life. 

Taking up the issue on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, here on Wednesday, Justice Tatia and member Mahesh Chandra Sharma had issued an order to Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department) to frame the law and also to write to the Centre for the same. 

“The fundamental right to life granted by the Constitution cannot be abandoned. A life of a concubine cannot be called a dignified life for a woman. The word concubine in itself is a serious character assassination and a disgusting way to address a woman. Such a woman cannot protect her rights in any sense," the bench said.  

"The women themselves wanting to live in such live-in relationships (like concubines) are not able to secure and protect their fundamental rights. So it is the duty of the state government, government departments and police to launch an awareness programme to sensitise women about the pros and cons of such ‘unethical and unsocial and illegal’ relations in society", it elaborated. 

The Bench quoted the Supreme Court's comments in the D Velusami case which reads, "In our opinion, not all live-in relationships will amount to a relationship in the nature of marriage to get the benefit of the Act of 2005. To get such benefit the conditions mentioned by us above must be satisfied, and this has to be proved by evidence. If a man has a ‘keep’, which he maintains financially and uses mainly for sexual purpose and/or as a servant it would not, in our opinion, be a relationship in the nature of marriage."