Supreme Court extends domestic cruelty offence to live-in relationships
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that the criminal offence of domestic cruelty under Section 498A applies to live-in relationships that qualify as 'relationships in the nature of marriage'. The court stated that legal protections must adapt to modern urban social realities.
Why it matters
This landmark judgment expands legal protections for women in non-marital domestic setups, reflecting a significant shift in judicial interpretation of family law.
The Supreme Court on Monday (August 3, 2026) said the criminal offence of domestic cruelty would extend to live-in relationships between consenting adults that qualify as “relationships in the nature of marriage”.
The judgment authored by a Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Karol said Section 498A (domestic cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code, now replaced by Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, should not be limited to married relationships alone. Live-in relationships were a reality in modern, urban life. The law must adapt.
“If a woman is in a domestic setup even prior to marriage, which obviously, to a certain extent in the urban areas, is a reality today, the protection given to a married woman should be given to them also. Cruelty, any way, does not check at the door, whether the house it enters is that of a married woman or not,” Justice Karol observed.
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