‘Why did she go and live with him?’: SC questions 18-year-old widow's decision on live-in relationship

THe sublime margaret court of bharat on mon reportedly questioned the circumstances below which a young widow entered a live-in relationship. The apex court was hearing a case involving allegations of rape on the false promise of marriage.During the hearing, Justice BV Nagarathna remarked, “Why did she go and live with him before marriage?" as reported by Live Law. She further observed, "See when we ask these questions it is said that we are victim shaming, what is this?”Counsel for the accused had argued that the complainant was in a vulnerable position at the time. “He met her when she was merely an 18-year-old young widow. He promised to marry her,” the counsel submitted.The case pertains to a man seeking bail after being accused of establishing a relationship with the complainant on the assurance of marriage.The court’s observations echo remarks made earlier this year. In February, while presiding over a separate matter, Justice Nagarathna had said that relationships before marriage require caution.‘Maybe we are old-fashioned,’ says NagarathnaIn a pointed observation on pre-marital relationships while hearing a bail plea in another rape case, a bench of Justice Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, observed, “Maybe we are old-fashioned, but before marriage, a boy and a girl are strangers,” a Live Law report said.The bench was hearing the plea of a man accused of raping a woman on the false pretext of marriage.She went on to question the nature of such relationships, adding, “Whatever may be the thick and thin of their relationship, we fail to understand how they can be indulging in a physical relationship before marriage.”‘Believe nobody before marriage’Emphasising caution, the judge further remarked, “You must be very careful, nobody should believe anybody before marriage,” the report added.According to the case details, the complainant, around 30 years old, met the man on a matrimonial platform in 2022. The accused is alleged to have repeatedly engaged in physical relations with her, both in Delhi and later in Dubai, on the assurance that he would marry her.The woman has further alleged that she travelled to Dubai at the man’s insistence, where he not only continued the relationship but also recorded intimate videos without her consent. She claimed he later threatened to circulate those videos if she resisted.It was only later that she discovered he had entered into a second marriage on January 19, 2024, in Punjab.