Islam does not permit live-in relationship for a married Muslim: Allahabad HC

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has said that a follower of Islam cannot be in a live-in relationship, particularly if the spouse is alive.

"The Islamic tenets do not permit live-in relationships during the subsisting marriage. The position may be different if the two persons are unmarried and the parties being adults choose to lead their lives in a way of their own," said the Bench.

With this observation, a Bench of Justice A.R. Masoodi and Justice A.K. Srivastava refused to provide police protection to petitioners Sneha Devi and Mohd Shadab Khan, both natives of Bahraich district. The petitioners claimed they were in a live-in relationship but the woman's parents lodged an FIR against Khan for kidnapping and inducing their daughter to marry him. The petitioners sought police protection saying they are adults and as per a Supreme Court order, they were free to stay in a live-in relationship.

On enquiry, the Bench found that Khan was already married and even had a daughter. Considering this fact, the court declined to provide him police protection. The Bench instead said that Islam does not permit such a relationship, especially under the circumstances of the present case.

Marriage institution requires to be balanced, failing which social coherence for achieving the object of peace and tranquility in the society would fade and disappear, the Bench directed the police that the petitioner Sneha Devi be sent to her parents under security.

Petitioners claimed they were in a live-in relationship but woman's parents lodged an FIR against Khan for kidnapping and inducing their daughter to marry him