The Supreme Court has ruled that ending a consensual live-in relationship is not a criminal offence, and that a voluntary relationship cannot be recast as sexual assault or exploitation after the partners separate. The court clarified that live-in relationships do not enjoy the legal status of marriage, but allowed the woman to claim maintenance for the child under Section 125 of the CrPC. It noted that the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, covers relationships 'in the nature of marriage', and stressed that consent is central to deciding criminal liability.