In June 2013, Justice Karnan delivered a judgment which said if any unmarried couple of the right legal age “indulge in sexual gratification,” it would be considered a valid marriage and that the man and woman could be termed “husband and wife.”
“Legal rights applicable to normal wedded couples will also be applicable to couples who have had sexual relationships which are established,” he said. When his order led to a public outcry, he issued a statement two days later barring the media from making any adverse comments on the order, “without fully understanding the judgment.”
