Indian court allows lesbian couple to live together
In late October 2026, a local court in Sheikhpura, in the Indian state of Bihar, allowed two women to live together after finding that both were adults. As Jagran reported on October 31, Jannat and Neha told the court they wanted to choose for themselves whom to live with.
Both women come from Bihar but had been living with their families in Kolkata, where they met. According to the newspaper, they left the city in September and held a wedding ceremony. Jannat’s family filed a complaint with police in Chewara.
According to Navbharat Times, relatives tried to take the women with them after they left court. The newspaper cites Chewara police station chief Harendra Kumar. Police escorted the couple to Kiul station and put them on a train to Kolkata.
The reports say the women confirmed their wish to live together and the court allowed them to make their own decisions about their lives.
In its October 17, 2023 ruling, India’s Supreme Court declined to reinterpret the Special Marriage Act to recognise same-sex marriages, leaving changes to the legal framework to lawmakers.
The Supreme Court nevertheless affirmed LGBT people’s right to choose a partner and cohabit. It also stated that the government must protect such couples from violence and coercion that interfere with that choice.
Uránia previously reported on lawsuits by same-sex couples in India challenging tax rules: exemptions for gifts between spouses do not extend to their relationships.
