Delhi court upholds privacy in army majors’ adultery dispute

Delhi

In a significant ruling, a Delhi civil court has upheld the right to privacy in a case involving an alleged extramarital affair between two Indian Army Majors. The case was initiated by a serving Major who accused his wife of having an affair with another officer and sought CCTV footage from a hotel where they were allegedly staying.

Civil Judge Vaibhav Pratap Singh denied the request, asserting that hotels are obligated to protect the confidentiality of their guests. He emphasized that an individual’s right to privacy extends even to common areas in a hotel and that third parties without legal standing cannot demand access to private data, including booking details.

The court noted that the woman and the officer accused of involvement were not even named as parties in the lawsuit. Releasing such information, the judge said, without allowing them an opportunity to defend their rights would violate the principles of natural justice and the fundamental right to privacy. The judge further stated that courts are not investigative agencies for personal disputes and advised the complainant to seek remedies under the Army Act, 1950. Quoting from Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair, the judge remarked that the burden of fidelity lies with the one who made the vow, not the alleged outsider. He also referred to the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment decriminalizing adultery, underlining modern India’s rejection of patriarchal views.