The Madras High Court ruled that a physical relationship between two consenting adults is not a criminal act. You see this in many cases today, and the Court noted that premarital relationships are common and reflect ongoing social changes.
The ruling came in a case involving a couple who lived in a consensual relationship for nine years. After the man refused marriage, the woman filed a complaint, which started the legal dispute you are seeing now.
The woman said they fell in love during college and continued a long physical relationship. She stated that he later refused marriage. This allegation formed the basis of her complaint in the case.
The man approached the Madurai bench and asked the Court to dismiss the case. The bench said there was no proof of a marriage promise. It also stated that both stayed in the relationship with consent, so a breakup cannot become a criminal offence.
The Court said it cannot decide if the relationship happened out of love or physical attraction. It remarked that using criminal law in such situations is a misuse of the system, and long consensual relationships cannot be treated as criminal acts.
