📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Harvinder Chandigarh
Crime
Punjab & Haryana HC Rules Minor in Live-In Relationship Cannot Seek Police Protection
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 04 Aug 2026, 02:03 PM
👁 4
The Punjab and Haryana High Courts have ruled that a minor engaged in a live-in relationship with an adult partner is not entitled to seek police protection under the law.
The Punjab and Haryana High Courts have issued a judgment stating that a minor who is in a live‑in relationship with an adult partner cannot seek police protection. The decision clarifies that the legal provisions for police intervention in domestic abuse cases do not extend to live‑in relationships involving minors.
In its ruling, the courts explained that the existing statutes for protection against domestic violence are applicable only to married couples or those in a legally recognized partnership. Since live‑in relationships are not formally recognized under the law, the courts held that minors in such arrangements are excluded from the protective mechanisms.
The judgment is expected to affect how law enforcement agencies respond to complaints from minors in live‑in relationships. It also raises questions about the adequacy of current legal safeguards for vulnerable youth who may be living with adult partners.
Legal experts note that the ruling underscores the need for clearer legislation on the rights of minors in non‑marital cohabitation settings, as the current framework does not provide a straightforward avenue for protection.
In its ruling, the courts explained that the existing statutes for protection against domestic violence are applicable only to married couples or those in a legally recognized partnership. Since live‑in relationships are not formally recognized under the law, the courts held that minors in such arrangements are excluded from the protective mechanisms.
The judgment is expected to affect how law enforcement agencies respond to complaints from minors in live‑in relationships. It also raises questions about the adequacy of current legal safeguards for vulnerable youth who may be living with adult partners.
Legal experts note that the ruling underscores the need for clearer legislation on the rights of minors in non‑marital cohabitation settings, as the current framework does not provide a straightforward avenue for protection.