Live-in partners can seek protection under Section 498A, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code applies to live-in partners, not just married couples.

Section 498A prescribes up to three years imprisonment and a fine for subjecting a woman to cruelty.

The court said legal safeguards against cruelty should not be restricted to marriage alone and must evolve with social realities.

The bench clarified that live-in relationships may take different forms, not necessarily between a man and a woman.