The Kerala High Court on Monday permitted a 24-year-old woman to live with her female partner. The court was hearing a habeas corpus plea filed by Kollam resident Sreeja S who alleged that her partner Aruna was being illegally detained by her father, The Times of India reported.
A division bench of the court passed the order after questioning Aruna, who was produced in court. The 40-year-old petitioner said that Aruna’s father had detained her at a hospital for people with mental illnesses in Thiruvananthapuram. Aruna told the bench comprising justices CK Abdul Rehim and R Narayana Pisharadi that she wanted to live with Sreeja.
The petitioner claimed that Aruna’s parents had filed a missing complaint after the 24-year-old moved in with her on August 13. Aruna then presented herself at the Neyyattinaka Judicial First Class Magistrate, who permitted her to live with Sreeja. However, Aruna’s father and his associates allegedly forcibly detained her outside the court and admitted her to the hospital. Sreeja said that while the hospital authorities allowed her to visit Aruna, they refused to let them leave together without a magistrate court’s order, The Hindu reported.
On September 6, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously decriminalised homosexual activity between consenting adults.
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