Register Live-In Relationships Or Face Jail

Individuals, who are in, or planning to enter into live-in relationships, should register themselves under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand, which was tabled in the State Assembly Tuesday morning, once it comes into law. Those who fail to adhere to the rules will face a jail term of up to six months and a fine of Rs 25,000 or both.

Parental consent is required for individuals below the age of 21 and should submit a statement to the Registrar stating whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not.

According to the proposed UCC in Uttarakhand, if individuals stay in live-in relationship for more than a month without submitting a statement, they could be punished and sent to jail for up to three months or fined Rs 10,000 or both.

If live-in partners withhold information or give a false statement in their undertaking, they will face imprisonment for up to three months and a fine not exceeding Rs 25,000 or both, the proposed UCC states.

The statements of live-in partners will be forwarded to the officer-in-charge of a local police station. The police station will be informed by authorities if the details provided in the statement turn out to be incorrect.

As per the Uttarakhand UCC, a woman who has been deserted in a live-in relationship can approach the court and is entitled to claim maintenance. A child in a live-in relationship will be declared the legitimate child of the couple under the UCC provisions.