Taking forward its decision to give some sanctity to live-in relationships and ensure that women in such relationships are not taken for a ride, the Maharashtra government has sent a proposal to the Centre to amend a section of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and expand the definition of the word ‘wife’ to include a woman living with a man like his wife for a ‘reasonably long’ period.

The amendment, if it comes through, would allow the woman in such a relationship to be entitled to alimony if the relationship breaks down as it legalises a live-in arrangement. The state cabinet had approved this move to amend Section 125 of the CrPC in October, largely aiming to protect the interest of the ‘other woman’ in a marriage.

The Law and Judiciary Department finalised the amendments and sent a draft to the Centre for its approval now, said M N Gilani, Principal Secretary in the department. The amendment would protect women in polygamous or live-in relationships, officials said.

The proposal has drawn heavily from the recommendations of the Justice S Malimath Committee appointed by the Centre to suggest reforms in the CrPC.

The committee had also proposed changing the definition of the word ‘wife’ under Section 125 to include a woman living with a man like his wife for a reasonably long period. Maharashtra’s move to amend the law comes even as there has been little progress over the recommendations made by the Justice Malimath panel. Since the CrPC is in the concurrent list, the state cabinet proposal has been sent to the Centre for obtaining the President’s assent.

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