Same-sex couple: court asks woman’s parents to undergo counselling

The Delhi High Court has ordered the director of a shelter home here to conduct the counselling of parents of a 22-year-old lesbian woman to prepare them to accept their daughter “as per her wishes”.

A Bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna also directed the Shakti Shalini Shelter Home to admit the woman and provide her with necessary facilities, including food.

The Bench gave the direction after interacting with the woman, her parents and her partner in a court chamber. The Bench ordered the parents and all other concerned not to exert any undue pressure on the woman or her partner.

The woman’s partner had earlier this month approached the High Court with a habeas corpus plea, a provision used to release a person who has been unlawfully detained.

During the hearing on August 22, the woman expressed her wish to either go with her partner or to Shakti Shalini Shelter Home.

Her parents, however, said she should be sent to Shakti Shalini Shelter Home “in order to reflect and introspect about her future”.

The High Court ordered the parents and a maternal uncle to approach the shelter home for counselling. The court said if the parents and maternal uncle wish for their further counselling, they shall be counselled accordingly on the alternate days thereafter.

“A status report in this regard be placed on record by the director, Shakti Shalini Shelter Home, at least a day prior to the next date of hearing and a hard copy of the same shall be produced before the court by the learned additional standing counsel appearing for the State on the next date of hearing,” the court said while posting the case for further hearing on August 29.