Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Constables Plan Same-Sex Wedding In Alandi

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Two women constables from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) have sought leave to hold a wedding ceremony in Alandi on 30th August. This move has drawn attention within the police department and opposition from one of their families.

According to Daily City News (DCN), the two constables, who joined the force after the formation of the independent Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate in 2018, have been posted together for the past three years. They are now planning a ceremony based on Vedic rituals. Their leave applications were submitted along with a printed wedding invitation. The development soon became known among police personnel.

Constables grew close after being posted together

The two women are from different parts of Maharashtra. One is from a district in northern Maharashtra, while the other is from a village near the Pune district border.

After completing their police training, both were posted at the police headquarters along with other recruits. They initially shared accommodation with two other women constables.

The two were later transferred to the same police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad. They continued living together after their other flatmates moved out.

Over time, their relationship became known to some people in their circles.

Family seeks police intervention

The relationship came to the attention of the family of one of the constables. Family members opposed the relationship and the proposed wedding ceremony.

They had earlier visited the police station and questioned staff about the two women. Senior officers then advised police personnel not to discuss the matter, as it was a private issue.

With the wedding date approaching, the family also approached a senior officer at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) and sought intervention.

The officer reportedly told them that the police department could not stop two consenting adults from maintaining a relationship or holding a private ceremony. The department could provide counselling assistance if required.

Ceremony does not have legal status as marriage

The planned ceremony comes amid the continuing legal debate over same-sex marriage in India.

Consensual same-sex relationships between adults are legal in India. However, same-sex marriages do not have statutory recognition under the country’s existing marriage laws.

In its October 2023 judgement, the Supreme Court declined to recognise a legal right to same-sex marriage and held that framing legislation on the issue falls within the domain of Parliament. The court, however, reaffirmed the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons to choose their partners and relationships.

The proposed ceremony in Alandi can therefore be conducted as a private or religious ceremony, but it would not by itself provide the couple with statutory marital status under existing law.

One constable undergoing gender transition

The case also has a gender transition aspect.

One of the two constables is currently undergoing gender transition treatment. She has reportedly visited a major hospital in Mumbai two to three times for treatment.

The couple is also exploring whether their marriage could be legally registered after the gender transition process is completed.

The legal position and applicable procedures could depend on the person’s legal gender status and the marriage law under which registration is sought.

Separate gender transition case in police force

A separate case involving another police employee has also come to light within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate.

The employee was transferred from Beed to the commissionerate under the inter-district transfer policy. She later underwent gender reassignment surgery after obtaining the required government approvals.

After completing the procedure, the employee requested the government to update the official service records to identify the employee as a male police officer. The application is still pending.

Authorities are examining the request, including questions linked to recruitment concessions and benefits that applied when the employee originally joined the police force as a woman.

The two cases are separate but have brought issues related to gender identity, service records and the legal status of same-sex relationships into focus within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate.