Live-in partner now protected against domestic cruelty: What SC said
The Supreme Court ruled that women in live-in relationships are entitled to protection against domestic cruelty under criminal law, extending the provisions of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code to these cases. This landmark decision, delivered by Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh, asserts that the absence of formal marriage does not preclude legal protection for women facing domestic violence, provided there is an intent to marry. The ruling will also apply to the corresponding provision in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.