Ahmedabad, March 17: In an unusual incident, a man from Banaskantha district approached the  Gujarat high court seeking custody of his girlfriend from her husband on the strength of their live-in agreement. However, the bench of Justice V M Pancholi and Justice H M Prachchhak imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the man observing that he had no locus standi to file the present petition on the basis of the so-called live-in relationship agreement.

TOI reported that the man had approached the HC and submitted that the woman he was seeking custody of had a relationship with him. She was married to someone else against her will. Both of them could not live together. She left her husband and later came to him and both of them have signed a live-in relationship agreement. But after a few days, the woman's family members forcibly took her to her husband. ‘Tyre Burst is Not An Act of God, But Negligence of Driver', Observes Bombay High Court, Asks Insurer to Pay Rs 1.2 Crore Relief to Accident Victim’s Family.

The man approached the HC, filing a habeas corpus petition for his girlfriend, saying that his girlfriend was in illegal custody of her husband and her family members had done this against her will, and asked the court to give orders to the police to bring her back to him anyway. Woman in Company of Man Not Basis To Infer Consent for Sexual Relations With Him, Says Delhi High Court.

His petition was opposed by the state government who argued that the man had no locus standi to file such a petition. If the woman is in the custody of her husband, it cannot be said that she is in illegal custody.

The court in its judgement said the petitioner's marriage to the woman was not solemnized so far and she was not even divorced from her husband. Therefore, the woman’s custody with her husband cannot be termed illegal and the petitioner has no locus to file the present petition on the basis of the so-called live-in relationship agreement.

The court imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the petitioner, instructing him to deposit the money with the State Legal Services Authority.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2023 09:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).