New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the Kerala High Court order directing the lesbian female partner to undergo counselling with a psychiatrist. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that a woman judicial officer of the Supreme Court e-committee would talk to the girl to find out whether she was being kept with her family members against her will. The Judicial Officer will submit the report in a sealed cover.
Based on the report, the Supreme Court will pass orders. The proceedings of the Kerala High Court will stay till further orders of the Supreme Court.
The petitioner is Mahila Kollam. The petitioner states that he and his lesbian partner wish to live together and get married. The petitioner states that his partner has been imprisoned by his parents. The petitioner filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court, following which the High Court sent a judicial officer to the lesbian partner’s home to ascertain the situation. The judicial officer was told by the lesbian partner that she was in a romantic relationship with the petitioner. It has been said in the petition that the lesbian partner had sent a message to the petitioner that she wanted to appear in the open court. The lesbian partner also told the High Court during her video conferencing appearance that she loves the petitioner.
The Kerala High Court had ordered counselling of the petitioner’s partner with a psychiatrist. This order of the Kerala High Court has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
