What's wrong in unmarried couple staying in hotel room, asks Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has raised its eyebrows over revenue and police officials in Coimbatore city having sealed a serviced apartment complex, without any notice or written order, after finding an unmarried couple staying together in one of the rooms and spotting some liquor bottles in another room.

Chennai: The Madras High court on Friday observed that occupation of a hotel room by an unmarried couple is not a criminal offence.

The court was dealing with a petition filed by private hospitality limited from Haryana, owning a serviced apartment in Coimbatore against authorities sealing the complex after an unmarried couple was found staying in a room and liquor bottles in another room.

Justice MS Ramesh said: "When a live-in relationship between two adults is not deemed to be an offence, terming the occupation of hotel room by an unmarried couple will not attract a criminal offence. While that being so, the extreme step of sealing the premises, on the ground that an unmarried couple was occupying the premises, is totally illegal."

"According to the Tamil Nadu liquor act, a person can keep 4.5 litres of foreign liquor, 7.8 litres of beer and 9 litres of wine. So Keeping liquor bottles inside the hotel room is not a crime," Justice MS Ramesh added.

He ordered the district collector to de-seal the petitioner’s premises.