Allahabad HC grants police protection to interfaith live-in couple, upholds their right to cohabit

The Allahabad High Court recently ruled in favor of an interfaith couple living together in a live-in relationship, granting them police protection after their minor daughter filed a plea citing threats from the mother’s former in-laws, reported TOI.

A division bench comprising Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Vipin Chandra Dixit heard the case and affirmed the couple’s right to live together, even though they had not formally married.

According to the report, the court acknowledged that the child's biological parents, who belong to different religions, had been living together since 2018, and their child is currently one year and four months old.


The couple had approached the court, alleging threats from the former in-laws of the child's mother. The mother, who had been living with her husband before his death, started living with the biological father after his passing. The court recognized the couple’s right to live together, referencing various Supreme Court judgments affirming the rights of unmarried adults to cohabit.

The petitioners claimed that when they approached the police to report the threats and file an FIR, the police refused to register their complaint, humiliating them instead, said TOI. The court took note of this and instructed the concerned Superintendent of Police (SP) to ensure the FIR is registered and investigate whether the family requires protection.

In its order dated April 8, the court directed the SP to provide necessary security to the parents and the child, in accordance with the law. This ruling marks an important step in recognizing the rights of individuals in live-in relationships, especially in the face of threats and harassment.