Rajasthan High Court said that two adult persons can live in a ‘live-in’ relationship of their own free will even if they have not yet attained the legal age for marriage. The court stressed that one’s constitutional rights cannot be curtailed on this ground. Justice Anup Dhand gave this decision while hearing a petition for protection filed by an 18-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, residents of Kota. The woman and the man told the court that they are living together of their own free will. A copy of this order became available on Thursday. The couple said that they had entered into a ‘live-in agreement’ on 27 October 2025.
The petitioners alleged that the woman’s family opposed the relationship and threatened to kill them. They complained to the Kota police, but no action was taken. Opposing the petition, Public Prosecutor Vivek Chaudhary argued that since the man had not reached 21 years of age, the minimum legal age for marriage for men, he should not be allowed to live in a live-in relationship.
The court rejected this argument, stating that the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution cannot be denied simply because the petitioners have not attained the legal age for marriage. “The government has a constitutional responsibility to protect the life and liberty of every individual,” the judge said in the order. He added that live-in relationships are not prohibited or criminalized under Indian law. He directed the Superintendents of Police of Bhilwara and Jodhpur (Rural) to verify the facts mentioned in the petition and provide necessary security to the couple, if required.