Yesterday, while hearing a plea filed by a woman seeking police protection on the grounds that she and her female partner were being threatened by her partner's family, the he Bombay High Court said there was a need to sensitise the police force across Maharashtra on how to deal with cases pertaining to same-sex couples in conflict with family members.

A division bench headed by Justice Revati Mohite Dere was hearing a plea filed by a woman seeking police protection on the grounds that she and her female partner were being threatened by her partner's family.

Earlier, the state government had assured the court that it would give the couple police protection.

Yesterday, the Counsel for the couple submitted before the Court that no protection was given to them.

The bench noted that the police were required to deal with such cases with sensitivity and empathy towards the couple.

"There has to be sensitisation of the entire police force across the state on how to deal with such cases," the bench said.

While giving reference to an identical case before the Madras High Court where the bench had asked the Tamil Nadu government to come up with sensitisation programmes across departments in the southern state.

"There were guidelines issued by the Madras High Court after which the police conduct rules were amended," said the bench.