Bhopal, June 18 : In another incident of a reported same-sex marriage, two young women from a village in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, have come forward to affirm their civil union.

After formally declaring their union through an affidavit, the women chose to live together.

A purported video (IANS is unable to confirm its veracity) of theirs has gone viral since Wednesday.

Speaking to IANS Satish Singh, the Naugaon police station incharge, said, 'Their parents approached me ' not the police station ' after the girls had been missing for two days and asked me to lodge a missing person report. However, a fortnight earlier, both girls had come to me seeking legal protection as they said they were married to each other.

"I had advised them to reconsider their decision, as they are young, unemployed and same-sex marriage is not legally valid in the country.

"I also informed their parents that the girls were not missing but had expressed a desire to live together. So, no complaint was registered.'

Upon further enquiry, it was found that the couple had submitted an application and a notarised affidavit at the local tehsil office regarding their civil union, the police officer added.

The officer clarified that both are residents of a village in the Naugaon tehsil and, since the relationship is consensual and legally recorded, the police cannot interfere.

They explained that their families were unwilling to accept the relationship, so they opted for legal protection to assert their rights and ensure their safety.

One of the women stated that they had solemnised their relationship earlier, on December 9, 2023, at a temple, the officer further clarified.

The purported video also shows her statement of getting married with the other woman. Despite marrying in a temple nearly two years ago, they had continued living separately due to familial resistance.

They have now filed an affidavit that formalises their civil union and enables them to begin life together on their own terms, an administrative officer said.

'An affidavit has no legal recognition for same-sex marriage; only courts can address such matters, and there is a process involving family and social objections. Same-sex marriage currently has no legal validity in India. We will counsel them, as they are still of tender age, though they are consenting adults. We will also speak to their parents, who are apparently unaware of the marriage. Even if they wish to live together, they need to consider all aspects of life,' Deputy Collector of Chhatarpur, Gopal Sharan Patel, told IANS.

This is the second reported same-sex civil union in Chhatarpur in three months. In a similar case earlier this year, a 23-year-old woman from Dauria village and her partner from Assam chose to live together in March.

Local authorities confirmed that no formal complaint has been filed against the couple, nor have there been any criminal allegations related to their union.

While same-sex marriages are not yet legally recognised in India, adult consensual same-sex relationships legally termed as 'civil union' are no longer criminal offenses following the Supreme Court's landmark verdict in 2018.

Notarised affidavits have since become a commonly used legal instrument for same-sex couples seeking cohabitation and protection from harassment or familial opposition.

Chhatarpur is known as an economically-backward district with no presence of large scale industry.

Also, most of the district is drought prone, as a result, agriculture which is the mainstay of livelihood, does not provide sufficient income to villagers.

/IANS