Andhra Pradesh High Court upholds lesbian couples’ right to live together, parents told not to ‘interfere’

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Andhra Pradesh High Court. document

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has upheld the right of lesbian couples to live together, affirming their freedom to choose their partner.

A bench of Justices R. Raghunandan Rao and K. Maheswara Rao was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by one of the women, Ms. Kavitha, alleging that her partner Ms. Lalitha was being detained against her will by her father and keeping her with him .

The court on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) further directed Ms Lalitha’s parents not to interfere in the couple’s relationship, insisting that their daughter was a professional and could make her own decisions.

The couple has been “living together” in Vijayawada for the past one year.

Acting on Ms Kavitha’s earlier missing complaint, the police found Ms Leisha at her father’s house and rescued her. Afterwards, she was held in an orphanage for 15 days, despite pleading to police that she was a major and wanted to live with her partner.

Ms Lalitha had also lodged a complaint against her father in September, alleging that her parents were harassing her over romantic relationships and other issues.

After the police intervention, Ms. Lalitha returned to Vijayawada and started working, meeting her partner regularly.

However, Lalitha’s father came to her home again and took his daughter away in a car. Ms Kavitha alleged in her habeas corpus petition that he had “unlawfully” detained her.

The father also reported to the police that his daughter was abducted by Ms. Kavitha and her family.

Ms. Kavita’s counsel Jada Sravan Kumar pointed to an earlier Supreme Court judgment and held that the detainee had given clear consent to be with the petitioner in a joint household consisting of the petitioner’s parents living together and never wanting to go back to her parents and others.

Mr. Kumar also informed the court that Ms. Lalitha had also expressed her wish to withdraw the complaint against her parents if she was allowed to live with the petitioner.

On Tuesday (December 17, 2024), Vijayawada police produced Ms. Lalitha before the High Court on its directions.

The bench, while disposing of the petition, also noted that since Ms Lalitha was willing to withdraw her complaint, no criminal proceedings would be initiated against her family.

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