Love Affair Turns Law Affair: Women In UP ‘Marry’ Each Other In Temple, But Registrar Says Rules Don’t Endorse Act

Two women ‘married’ each other in a temple in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, after divorcing their husbands, on Saturday, reports Hindustan Times.

The women, aged 24 and 26, after garlanding each other in the temple, exchanged vows before their lawyer and friends. They were lovers in college, who were separated by forced marriages six years ago.

The registrar, however, refused to recognise their marriage. The lawyer of the two women, Daya Shankar Tiwari, stated that the Registrar, RK Pal, had refused to register their marriage due to the fact that the government did not recognise same-sex marriage.

Pal defended his move by saying there was no provision for same-sex marriage, with there not being even an online proforma for it. The Supreme Court on September 6 decriminalised homosexuality. But marriages between same-sex couples is yet to be legalised.

The two women are, however, hopeful, as their lawyer has told them that after the scrapping of Section 377, living together of same-sex couples was legal.

The two, who met in college six years ago, had to drop out after their parents got to know about their relationship. Married six months after dropout, the two divorced their husbands and fought legally to stay together.

The two, who have been staying together for some time, state none can trouble them and that they would not lay claim to their marital properties. The lawyer said that he would fight the registrar’s decision in court, citing the women’s legal right to stay together.