The Karnataka High Court in India ruled Friday that the right to marry a person of choice irrespective of caste or religion is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. This is is a reaffirmation of a 2011 ruling by the Supreme Court of India.

The case arose after a woman was held in confinement for her relationship with a man whom her parents did not consent to her marrying. Her male companion sought a writ of habeas corpus requesting her release, and the court agreed.

In its judgment, the court concluded that “it is well settled that a right of any major individual to marry the person of his/her choice is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution of India and the said liberty relating to the personal relationships of two individuals cannot be encroached by anybody irrespective of caste or religion.”

Intercaste marriages are uncommon in India, and only make up 5.1 percent of all marriages. They still are fairly controversial, and have, in some rare instances, led to honor killings.