Living with a woman other than one’s wife amounted to misconduct, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has ruled.

The tribunal held this view while dismissing the plea of a Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector to quash a penalty imposed on him for co-habiting with a woman who was not his wife.

A penalty of forfeiture of five years of service with proportionate reduction in pay was imposed on him after the inquiry officer found the ASI living with another woman.

A bench of the tribunal rejected the contention of the ASI that there was no misconduct on his part as there was no law in the country which made sexual relationship between two adults of different sex unlawful, unless the relationship was adulterous or promiscuous.

The petitioner, Tulsi Ram, referring to a verdict by the Hyderabad bench of the tribunal, had argued that if a man and a woman were residing under the same roof and if there was no law prohibiting such a residence, what transpired between them was not a concern of their employer.