A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday allowed a woman to go with her female lover and live together.

The Bench passed the order when a habeas corpus petition filed by Sreeja S. of Kollam complaining about the illegal detention of her female lover by the latter’s parents came up for hearing. The court, after interacting with the woman who was produced by the police, allowed both of them to go together.

According to the 40-year-old woman, she was “in close relationship” with a 24-year-old woman from Thiruvananthapuram. They intended to live together as partners. Aruna had come to live with her on her own volition on August 13, the petitioner said. The petitioner also pointed out that Aruna’s father had then lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his daughter was missing. She was later produced before the Neyyattinaka Judicial First Class Magistrate who set her at liberty. However, while Aruna was coming out of the court, her father and his associates had forcibly taken her away. In fact, she contacted the petitioner over her mobile phone.

The petitioner then realised that she was admitted to a mental hospital. Though the petitioner met her at the hospital and her lover was willing to come along with her, the hospital authorities did not allow her plea because she could not produce the magistrate court order.

The petitioner alleged that her lover was under the illegal detention of her parents. The petitioner said that as per the recent Supreme Court verdict, the adult persons of the same gender were entitled to live together as life partners.