New Delhi: A petition seeking rules to “register live-in relationships” was dismissed today by the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice DY Chandrachud calling it a “harebrained idea”.
A lawyer had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) calling for guidelines for the mandatory registration of every live-in relationship in the country. The petition also sought social security of couples living together.
The idea, said the petitioner, was to reduce crimes caused by live-in partners.
“What is this? People come with anything here. We’ll start imposing costs on such cases. Registration with whom? The central government? What does the central government have to do with people in live-in relationships?” Chief Justice Chandrachud snapped.
“Are you trying to foster the security of these people or not let people be in live-in relationships? Please. A cost should be imposed on these petitions. Just hare-brained that is all…dismissed,” said the Chief Justice, apparently annoyed.
The petitioner wanted the Centre to be the registrar for live-in relationships. “On what grounds do you want to give security,” Justice Chandrachud questioned. Social security, the lawyer replied, and was promptly snubbed.
The petition came up after recent crimes involving live-in partners, the most famous of them being the killing of Shraddha Walkar allegedly by her partner Aaftab Poonawala, who is accused of cutting up her body and disposing of the parts bit by bit, keeping some in his fridge.
