In a case filed before the Madras High Court, a lesbian couple sought for protection from their parents who are opposed to the same -sex relationship. The matter came up before Justice N. Anand Venkatesh who referred the petitioners and their parents to a counselor who deals with LGBTQI+ individuals. The judge requested the counselor to send a report to the court in a sealed cover preferably on or before 26.04.2021.
According to the judge, this move is vital for the case as the court was moving into “unchartered waters” and therefore, a report from a specialist in the field would help the court to proceed further in the matter.
The petitioners as well as their parents accepted the request of the court for counselling that would take place in the third week of April. When the court interacted with the petitioners in-camera, they submitted that they knew each other for the past two years and that they wished to become partners for life.
The court ordered that the petitioners would continue to be under the protection of the NGO, International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care for the time being and permitted the parents to have regular interaction with their children.
