NEW DELHI: Expanding the scope of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives, the Supreme Court on Monday held that the provision would also apply to live-in partners. “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. With the passage of time, however, some relationships may go down this troublesome path. The law must provide for the same,” it said.The judgment came while the court was dealing with the question of whether a man in a live-in relationship could be prosecuted under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.