In a judgement (2017), the court allowed a married woman, Manju, to live with her lover. “It is improper to pass an order to hand over any unwilling married woman to her husband with whom she does not want to stay,” said justices GS Mishra and KC Sharma of Rajasthan High Court. The court also said that nobody should consider an adult woman as a consumer product.

The court dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Manju’s husband, saying that a habeas corpus petitions are being misused by people who want to thrust their will upon adult women without their consent.

senior Supreme Court advocate and noted women’s rights activist Indira Jaising said, “Though it sounds strange, I am in complete agreement with the high court. At the end of the day an adult woman has a right to decide whom she wants to live with. She can’t be forced to go with her husband against her will”.

Asked whether it amounted to adultery, Jaising clarified that the woman could not be prosecuted for this offence under the law. As for the other man, she said, “it seems he is ready to face that”. National Commission for Women Chairperson Girija Vyas said that although it seemed like an important judgment, she could not comment on it since she had not seen it yet.
The court said the husband was free to approach the family court for divorce