Girls not safe in live-in relationships, says NCW chief; urges parents to be more accommodative

In the wake of the killing of a woman allegedly by her live-in partner in Delhi—the second such incident from the national capital in a few months—National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma appealed to family members to be more open to live-in relationships.

She said the NCW has sought a police report into the murder of Nikki Yadav by her live-in partner Sahil Gehlot.

Gehlot allegedly strangled Nikki Yadav with a mobile phone cable on February 10 and hid her body in a refrigerator in his dhaba on the outskirts of Mitraon village in southwest Delhi. He married a woman the same day he killed his girlfriend.

The NCW chairperson said the commission feels that feel girls aren't safe in live-in relationships.

"Not only girls but families are also responsible for such incidents. If girls are given the right to select their partners, these types of incidents can decrease," she observed.

"Police and family both should be concerned about these types of incidents. The family must accept live-in relations," she said and promised strict action in the case.

Earlier, in a tweet, Sharma had said: "How heartless a person can be? Not only he killed his live-in partner but got married to another girl the same day. What is the role of parents that we need to look into also have to work out on the mindset of families who think children are their properties."