Same-sex marriage remains legally unrecognised in India, but public opinion on the issue has shifted. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 53% of Indian adults supported legalising same-sex marriage, while 43% opposed it. The survey was conducted before the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage judgment that year.
Against this backdrop, two women constables in Pune planned to marry after being in a relationship for around three years. Their wedding invitation, submitted with their leave applications, soon brought the relationship to wider attention.
The women later called off their planned ceremony.
Who Were The Two Women?
The two women, both in their 20s, worked as constables with the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police.
According to The Times of India, they met during the police recruitment process around three years ago. After completing their training, they were posted at the same police station.
They subsequently entered into a relationship and had reportedly been together for around three years.
They then decided to hold a traditional Vedic wedding ceremony in Alandi.
How Did Their Wedding Plans Become Public?
The women planned to marry on 30 August.
While applying for leave, they submitted their wedding invitation along with their applications. This brought their plans to the attention of others within the police department.
The situation then became more complicated.
According to The Times of India, the family of one of the women opposed the relationship. Family members approached the police and later sought the intervention of senior officials, asking them to stop the proposed wedding.
What Did The Police Say?
The police did not treat the relationship as a matter requiring official intervention.
According to the report, senior police officials told the family that the women's decision was a personal matter and that the police could not intervene. Counselling assistance could be offered if required.
There has been no reported criminal case against the two women over their relationship or proposed wedding.
Why Was The Wedding Called Off?
The planned ceremony was eventually cancelled.
The Times of India reported that the decision followed family opposition and intense public and media attention.
However, the women have not publicly given a detailed account of why they decided to cancel the ceremony, based on the reports available. It would therefore be inaccurate to state that family pressure alone caused the cancellation.
The reported facts establish that their plans faced opposition and significant attention before the wedding was called off.
What Does Indian Law Say?
Indian law distinguishes between same-sex relationships and marriage.
In 2018, the Supreme Court's Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India judgment decriminalised consensual same-sex relations between adults by reading down Section 377 of the IPC. The ruling also recognised rights including privacy, dignity and personal autonomy.
A consensual same-sex relationship between adults is therefore not, by itself, a criminal offence.
Marriage is different.
In 2023, the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench in Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty v Union of India declined to interpret the Special Marriage Act, 1954 to permit same-sex marriages. The court held that any change to the existing legal framework was a matter for Parliament.
The court also recognised queer persons' right to enter relationships and directed attention to their protection from threats to their safety.
So, while consenting adults can be in same-sex relationships, Indian law does not currently provide statutory recognition to same-sex marriages.
What Does This Mean For The Pune Couple?
The two constables' relationship was not, by itself, a criminal matter.
Their proposed ceremony, however, would not have created a legally recognised same-sex marriage under India's existing marriage laws.
Their decision to call off the ceremony came after their plans faced family opposition and public attention. Beyond that, the reasons for their decision remain private unless the women choose to speak publicly.
TL;DR | News At a Glance
What happened?
Two Pune women constables planned to marry after being in a relationship for around three years.
Why was the wedding called off?
Reports linked the cancellation to family opposition and intense public attention. The women have not publicly given a detailed explanation.
Who were they?
They were constables with the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police who met during police recruitment and were later posted at the same police station.
Did police take action against them?
No criminal action against the women over their relationship or proposed wedding has been reported. Police reportedly treated the matter as personal.
Are same-sex relationships legal in India?
Consensual same-sex relations between adults are not criminalised following the Supreme Court's 2018 Navtej Singh Johar judgment.
Is same-sex marriage legal in India?
Same-sex marriage does not currently have statutory recognition. In 2023, the Supreme Court declined to interpret the Special Marriage Act to permit such marriages and left any change in the law to Parliament.
