Referring to live-in relationships, the single-headed bench of Justice Siddarth of the Allahabad High Court observed that its a "systematic design is working to destroy the institution of marriage in India."

The high court made the observation while granting bail to a man accused of raping his live-in partner.

The Court in its order said - "the security, social acceptance and stability"which the institution of marriage provides to a person is never provided by live-in-relationship. "The brutish concept of changing partners in every season cannot be considered to be a hallmark of a stable and healthy society," he said.

The High Court noted the significance of middle-class morality in India.

 "Live-in-relationship shall only be considered as normal after the institution of marriage becomes obsolete in this country, like in many of the so-called developed countries where it has become a big problem for them to protect the institution of marriage," the high court said.

"Infidelity to a partner in a married relationship and having a free live-in-relationship are being shown as signs of a progressive society. The youth gets attracted to such philosophy being advanced, unaware of the long-term consequences", the high court said.

In its order, the high court also noted that with a similar trend in the country, "we are proceeding to create a great problem for us in future."

Case Brief -

In the said matter, the accused, Adnan was arrested in April this year after his live-in partner accused him of reneging on his promise to marry her. The complaint was filed by a 19-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur.

They cohabited for a year, and when the woman became pregnant, Adnan declined to marry her. Consequently, the woman filed a complaint against him, alleging that he had engaged in sexual activity with her under the false assurance of marriage