There can be no fetters imposed on the right of an adult woman to reside with whosoever she desires, the Delhi High Court has said, while allowing a married woman to live with a 36-year-old woman she wants to be in a relationship with.

A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal observed that the “expression of the woman’s choice to reside with her friend is strictly within the ambit of inalienable human and fundamental rights that she is entitled to as part and parcel of the basic freedoms enshrined, guaranteed and protected by the Constitution of India”.

The 36-year-old had approached the High Court following the Supreme Court’s judgment last year, which held that consensual sex between two adults, regardless of their gender, is not a crime.

She had alleged that her partner had been illegally confined by her parents and husband. She further said she was concerned about the safety and security of her friend. Read more via Indian Express