Mumbai, October 11
The proposed amendment to the criminal procedure code (CrPC) is not about giving any "status" to live-in relationship, but is aimed at providing succour to vulnerable women, specially those short-changed in bigamous marriages, a Maharashtra government official said.

The amendment seeks to expand the definition of wife under Section 125 of the CrPC -- to include in it woman "living as wife" with a person for a reasonably long period. Under Section 125, a magistrate's court can summarily order a person to pay maintenance to wife, parents, and children.

"This is not about live-in relationship, as the media has been saying. Neither does it change the status of couples in live-in relationships. That would entail changing a host of laws," M N Geelani, principal secretary, law and judiciary department, told PTI here today.

The amendment proposal, approved by state cabinet, has kicked off a debate with the BJP and even some leaders of the ruling Congress expressing their opposition to the move.

"In the rural area, you will find that often a man marries another woman despite first wife being alive, for reasons such as the first wife has not borne a child etc. Then after some years the husband throws out the second wife, saying he is already married and the other woman is not his legally wedded wife," he said.

"It is to protect these woman that we are bringing in this amendment," Geelani maintained. The official said the present maintenance law has an anomaly. "Under the current CrPC provisions, an illegitimate child is entitled to get maintenance from the father. But the illegitimate wife does not get anything." — PTI