AMARAVATI: In a big ruling, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has upheld the right of a lesbian couple to live together, affirming their autonomy in choosing their partners. The Court issued this decision while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Kavitha (name changed), one of the women, who claimed that her partner Lalitha (name changed) was being detained by her father against her will in Narsipatnam.
The bench, consisting of Justices R Raghunandan Rao and K Maheswara Rao, directed Lalitha's parents not to interfere in their relationship, emphasizing that their daughter is an adult and has the right to make her own decisions. The couple has been living together in Vijayawada for the past year.
The case came to light after Kavitha filed a missing person report, alleging that Lalitha had been taken against her will by her father. The police located Lalitha at her father's home and rescued her, but she was placed in a welfare home for 15 days, despite her repeated requests to return to her partner. Lalitha insisted that she is an adult and wished to live with Kavitha.
In September, Lalitha lodged a complaint against her parents, claiming they were harassing her over her relationship with Kavitha and other personal matters. After police intervention, Lalitha reportedly returned to Vijayawada and continued her work, often meeting her partner. However, in a further escalation, Lalitha’s father forcibly took her away from her home again. Kavitha alleged that her partner was unlawfully detained by her father.
Lalitha's father also filed a complaint with the police, accusing Kavitha and her family of abducting his daughter. During the court proceedings, Kavitha's lawyer, Jada Sravan Kumar, cited previous Supreme Court rulings, arguing that Lalitha had clearly expressed her desire to live with Kavitha and had no intention of returning to her parents. Kumar also informed the court that Lalitha wanted to withdraw the complaint she had filed against her parents if she was allowed to stay with Kavitha.
The police presented Lalitha before the High Court on Tuesday, following the Court’s order. The Bench also stated that no criminal charges should be filed against Lalitha's family, given that she wished to withdraw her earlier complaint.