Supreme Court: Live-in partners now covered under domestic cruelty law
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Judiciary & landmark judgments· Prelims + Mains·
Why in news
The Supreme Court expanded the scope of domestic cruelty laws to include women in live-in relationships 'in the nature of marriage' to ensure protection against domestic violence.
Background
The Supreme Court ruled in Dr Lokesh B.H. & Ors v. State of Karnataka & Anr on August 3, 2026. It held that Section 498A of the IPC (now Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) applies to live-in partners if there is an intention to marry.
Facts for Prelims
- Act / BillSection 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) corresponds to the former Section 498A of the IPC regarding cruelty.
- BodyThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial body in the country.
- FactThe ruling specifically applies to live-in relationships 'in the nature of marriage' with an intention to marry.
For Mains
Q. Discuss the judicial expansion of domestic violence protections to live-in relationships. Does this move align with the reformative objectives of Indian criminal law?
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- protection of vulnerable sections
- judicial activism vs legislative intent
- prevention of misuse of criminal law
- reformative justice
Keywords: judicial interpretation · domestic cruelty · reformative objective · legal safeguards · Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.