INDIA: MARRIED GAY COUPLE FLEE

A gay male couple who managed to get their marriage registered last month in India have fled their home for fear of being jailed.

Chunmun Kumar and Simran registered the marriage in Ballia, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, on March 29 under the Hindu Marriage Act; despite it not allowing for same-sex unions.

The men say that they were open about their gender to the marriage officer, but officials claims that the couple filed affidavits asserting that one was male and the other was female.

“Why would we get our marriage registered if we wanted to keep our relation secret? I had told the lawyers that we were both men,” Chunmun told The Indian Express.

He said that he and his husband had left their house after being told by community members that they could be arrested for giving false information.

Ballia Sub Registrar Subhash Chandra Mishra told the newspaper that in addition to the alleged affidavits, Simran had worn a sari and looked like a woman.

He said, however, that he would not pursue the matter as he “had no proof of their gender”.

While homosexuality is legal in India, the law does not allow for same-sex marriage or unions.