What to Do If Police Ignore Your Relationship Agreement?

In India, live-in partnerships have grown in popularity, particularly in cities where couples want to be with one another without the responsibilities of marriage. These agreements may be permissible from a legal perspective. Still, asserting one’s rights within the practice is often difficult due to the complex nature of the engagement, especially when it involves acceptance by law enforcement.

For instance, a live-in relationship may lead to harassment or legal problems or even fail to provide the necessary safeguards in case the law enforcement authorities reject the relationship’s existence.  

Legal Status of Live-In Relationships in India

• Court Acceptance: In Indian jurisprudence, live-in relationships are not person define, the learn judge has recognized them in certain instances. For various reasons, such as upkeep and legal restrictions on domestic violence, the courts have regarded living together as marriage. 
• Domestic Violence Act, 2005: Women living in cohabitation are also entitle to some rights as per the provisions of The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) 2005. It recognizes ‘of marriage’ inclusively and holds provisions for the maintenance and safety of victims of domestic violence.
• Rights of Children: As it is said, any child born out of such an arrangement will inherit like any other child born in legal wedlock hence protecting the rights of the Children.  
• Lack of Formal Registration: Unlike legal ties of marriage, there are no formalities in registering a cohabitation relationship union. In the absence of such formal papers, at times, it can be difficult for one to show that such a relationship is in existence with the parties concerned, especially so when using the authorities.
• As well as live-in-agreement protects the couple from future consequences such as false FIR, protection from false allegations of Rape, or any other cases. Also, note that a live-in agreement is a document only for protection and does not create a right upon each other. 
• In such cases, if you are living in a live-in-agreement and if any complaint has been file by the parents then the police have a right to investigate the matter. 
• That is when investigations start, the couple has to cooperate with police authorities. But never share your original Agreement, because it will protect you, only show a photocopy of the document. They have a right to register the statement of the party under section 181 of BNSS and the statement in front of the magistrate under section 183 of BNSS. 
• After the statement of the party, it has to be decide where the party wants to stay if she chooses to go with other parties (live in) or at home. 

Why Police Refuse to Recognize a Live-In Relationship Agreement?

• Insufficient Knowledge: Possibly, there is a lack of knowledge among the police officers to appreciate the rights and the legal position of people who are cohabiting.
• Cultural bias: There might be social and cultural doubts towards cohabitation that may affect the conduct of law enforcement agencies at work.
• Complexity of the Law: It can be perplexing for even the best of the authorities to comprehend which law or set of laws apply in the case of live-in relationships because no law governs them.

• Active Moral Policing: Police officers may act in a moralistic manner when it comes to situations that involve cohabitation basing their beliefs on the customs and practices of Indian society.

Steps to Take if Police Refuse to Recognize Live-In Relationship

Bring Documents to Support Your Claim of Relationship:    

• In case you have any legal agreements or any memorandum of understanding concerning your residence arrangements then kindly submit it to the department concerned. 
• While it may not be as amiss as a wedding certificate, such an agreement seeks to prove the common intention and purpose of living together. 
• Come up with common documents that bear both of you names and prove your living together such as management lease, electricity or water bills, or joint bank accounts. 
• As far as courts are concern, in some instances, the duration of living together may be associate with marriage. Please submit any evidence that would help in determining the nature and duration of the relationship such as photographs, itineraries or boarding passes, or social media activities. 

Refer to Court Decisions:

• The Supreme Court laid down guidelines for recognizing “relationships like marriage” in the case of Indra Sarma v. V.K.V. Sarma, (2013). There were some signs of a true relationship including length of the relationship, cohabitation, and common responsibilities among the partners. 
• The courts have also extended the PWDVA’s protections to women in a cohabiting relationship. For instance, in D. Velusamy v. D. Patchaiammal, 2010, the court ruled that under certain conditions, women in such cohabitation have the right to funding for maintenance.

Ask for Legal Help:

• Even if you provide enough evidence to law enforcement officials, they continue to ignore the agreement, and you should consult a family lawyer or human rights lawyer. 
• An attorney can assist in understanding the legal proceedings and ensure that rights are not violate. 
• In case it becomes necessary; your attorney might inform law enforcement that their refusal is unconstitutional and violates your rights. This may have the effect of compelling the state to observe its laws.

Go to the Magistrate’s Court:

• If you or your spouse are victims of domestic violence and the police are not able to furnish assistance, you are free to head straight to the magistrate court and make your application. 
• There are several orders that a court may issue under the provisions of the PWDVA(Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005) and these include but are not limit to protection, dwelling, and maintenance orders without the involvement of the police.

• Also, under Section 175 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), you are deem to have apply to the police, directing the court to instruct the police to take necessary action in a particular case such as the occurrence of domestic violence, where the police’s inaction is preventing justice from being serve.

Seek Redress from the Appropriate Authorities: 

• Where local law enforcement does not respect your rights, you can escalate the matter to higher police officials such as the Deputy Commissioner of Police or the Superintendent of Police. 
• When adherence to the law is violate, or in other words, when there is non-cooperation from the police, and one feels that one’s basic rights are under threat of violation by the police, the appropriate body to contact should be the State Human Rights Commission or the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Social Awareness and the Press: 

• As for cases that stay open for an excessively long period, it is recommend to consider contacting media outlets to bring attention to the issue. It is frequently the case that moral indignation motivates those in power to take action. 
• Take advantage of internet platforms to create public awareness regarding the issue, especially situations involving the denial of rights. Such online initiatives are capable of encouraging individuals to act and making it possible for them to push the government to pursue legal redress.

One can talk to a lawyer from Lead India for any kind of legal support. In India, free legal advice online can be obtain at Lead India. Along with receiving free legal advice online, one can also ask questions to the experts online free through Lead India.