SC extends Section 498A protection to live-in relationships ‘in nature of marriage’The Supreme Court ruled that Section 498A of the IPC applies to live-in relationships "in the nature of marriage", extending protection against cruelty to women in such unions while directing that safeguards, including preliminary inquiries before arrest, must be strictly followedBy PTI Published Date - 3 August 2026, 05:15 PMNew Delhi: Expanding the scope of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, the Supreme Court on Monday held that the provision, which deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives, would also apply to partners in live-in relationships. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh said a man in a live-in relationship can be prosecuted for subjecting a woman to cruelty if the relationship is “in the nature of marriage”. Section 498A refers to a woman’s husband or his relatives subjecting her to cruelty. “Section 498A is held to be applicable to ‘live-in relationships’ that qualify as ‘relationships in the nature of marriage’ with the intent to marry being established as an intrinsic part thereof; “The ‘live-in relationships’ protected by Section 498A, it is stated for ample clarity, are those that are between two consenting adult individuals. The judgement came while dealing with a question whether a man who is in a live-in relationship can be prosecuted under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.