New Delhi, June 8 :
In a significant observation, the Supreme Court has held that a consensual physical relationship between two unmarried adults cannot, by itself, be treated as a reflection on a person’s moral character or used to draw adverse conclusions against them.
A Bench comprising Justices Manmohan and Manoj Misra observed that there is no law prohibiting two consenting unmarried adults from engaging in a relationship of their choice. The Court emphasized that such relationships should not be viewed through the lens of social prejudice or moral judgment.
“Physical relationship between two consenting unmarried adults cannot and should not by itself be a ground to draw an adverse impression about the character of the person in that relationship. There is no law which prohibits two consenting unmarried adults to have a relationship of their choice,” the Bench observed.
The apex court further noted that not every romantic relationship culminates in marriage, and merely because a relationship ends without marriage, it cannot automatically be presumed that one party deceived or cheated the other.
In another important clarification, the Court held that a compromise reached in a rape case based on an alleged promise of marriage before a Lok Adalat cannot be construed as an admission of guilt by the accused. It said that an employer cannot draw adverse inferences from such a settlement in the absence of any material indicating that the compromise was forced upon the complainant.
The ruling underscores the importance of individual autonomy, consent, and the need to avoid moral assumptions while assessing the conduct and character of consenting adults under the law. (KNC)