Indian cohabiting couples slam new state law requiring ‘inquiry’, fear abuse by nosy neighbours

The couple, who used pseudonyms for fear of being identified, said the legislation felt like an attack on the private spaces of couples.

Atreya and Madhu also feared landlords could refuse to rent a house to a live-in couple on grounds such as “fraud” or “misrepresentation” after an “inquiry” by the relevant authorities.

“Another thing we fear is that in strict families where there is opposition, especially in the case of interfaith and inter-caste marriages, this law can be weaponised, as the complaint can be lodged by even vigilante neighbours,” they said.

The bill defines a live-in relationship as one between a man and woman cohabiting “in a shared household through a relationship in the nature of marriage”.

Under the proposal, partners in a live-in relationship must submit a statement to the registrar, who will conduct a summary inquiry within 30 days. The registrar also forwards live-in relationship statements to local police and informs parents if either partner is under 21. A registration can be rejected if one partner is married, a minor, or if consent to the relationship is obtained through coercion or fraud.

Failure to submit live-in relationship declarations or providing false information could land one in jail for three months, a fine of 25,000 Indian rupees (US$300), or both.

Uttarakhand is not the only state pushing for a uniform civil code, with Assam, another BJP-ruled state announcing plans to implement similar rules later this year.

Live-in relationships are becoming more common in urban India as dating couples relocate for better job opportunities and live far from their parents though cultural taboo, society disapproval and parental pressures against such lifestyles exist.

In 2012, a Supreme Court judge said