India Supreme Court extends 498A to live-in partners

In a landmark ruling on Monday, August 3, 2026, the Supreme Court of India expanded the scope of the criminal offence of domestic cruelty to include partners in live-in relationships, provided the relationship is "in the nature of marriage" and there is proof of an intention to marry. The judgment, delivered by a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh, interprets Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code to apply beyond the confines of legally valid marriage.

The court held that Section 498A, which deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives, would now protect women in live-in relationships that qualify as "relationships like marriage," establishing intent to marry as an intrinsic part of such arrangements. The bench emphasized that the law must adapt to societal realities, noting that live-in relationships are a reality, particularly in urban areas. The ruling stated that differentiating between married women and women in such relationships has no rational connection to the objective of preventing domestic cruelty and would violate the constitutional guarantee of equality under Article 14.

However, the court clarified several critical limitations. Not all live-in...