HC grant police cover to same-sex couple

The Bombay High Court has ordered the police to provide security to two women who have chosen to live together against the wishes of one of their parents. The women had approached the court seeking protection and implementation of guidelines formulated by the state government for safeguarding the interests of same-sex or inter-faith couples. The police have assured the court that they will provide security to the women and their contact information will be shared with the couple. The court has also directed the police to accompany one of the women to retrieve her belongings.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the police to provide security through plain-clothes personnel to two women, who have decided to live together but the parents of one of them were against the relationship and had taken her away forcibly.

HT Image

The women approached the HC, seeking directions to the police to provide them protection and not entertain any missing person complaint by the family of one of the women.

On Wednesday, the division bench of justice Revati Mohite-Dere and justice Gauri Godse was informed that the petition also seeks implementation of the draft guidelines that have been formulated by the state government for safeguarding the interests of the persons involved in same-sex or inter-faith relationships.

The bench, which heard the petition on Tuesday, had directed police officials from Solapur and Pune to be present in the court on Wednesday. One of the women hails from Bihar, the other is from Solapur and they live in Pune. According to the petition, the 28-year-old woman from Bihar is a double graduate, while the 32-year- old woman works as a nurse in a private hospital in Pune.

However, a few days later, the family of the woman forcibly took her away and though she wrote to the women’s rights body in Bihar, she was unable to rejoin her lover. The petition stated that she did manage to return to Pune in June, however, due to the violent reaction of her family, they were fearing for their lives and hence sought directions to the police to provide them security and not to disclose their identity and place of residence to anyone, including the family of the woman from Bihar.

Responding to the plea, the Pune police assured the HC that the women would be provided with security in the form of two constables in plain clothes, and their contact numbers would also be shared with the couple. The Pune police further assured that in the event of an untoward incident, the women would be provided all possible help and the lady constables would be sensitised to ensure the safety and security of the lives of the women.

Moreover, when the nurse said she wanted to go to Solapur to get her belongings, the police were directed by the bench to send escorts with the woman in plain clothes.

Advocate Vijay Hiremath for the women also drew the attention of the bench towards draft guidelines framed by the state government for the protection of same-sex and inter-faith couples.

The bench, however, posted the hearing of the petition for further directions after two weeks.