This is a genuinely important question requiring careful distinction between what is criminally prohibited and what, while not itself illegal, still carries significant legal consequences, particularly regarding the subsisting marriage.

The clear starting point is that simply living with another woman, without formally marrying her, while your first marriage remains legally subsisting, does not itself constitute bigamy under Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), since bigamy specifically requires a second marriage ceremony to have occurred, not merely cohabitation without any formal marital solemnisation. This means, from a purely criminal law perspective, cohabiting with another woman without marrying her does not, by itself, constitute this specific criminal offence.

However, this does not mean this conduct is without genuinely significant legal consequences. This conduct constitutes adultery in the civil, matrimonial sense, providing your legally wedded wife with a strong and direct ground for divorce under Section 13(1)(i) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, since living with another woman inherently and necessarily involves a sexual relationship outside your marriage.

Beyond adultery, this conduct, particularly if sustained and involving a genuine, cohabiting relationship resembling marriage, provides equally strong grounds for divorce on the basis of cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia), given the profound breach of trust and abandonment of marital obligations this represents.

If you have effectively deserted your legally wedded wife to live with this other woman, this may separately and independently support a desertion-based divorce claim under Section 13(1)(ib), provided the specific elements of this ground, discussed extensively in relation to establishing desertion, are properly satisfied.

If the other woman genuinely believes she is your legitimate wife, or if there is any representation to her or to society that this relationship constitutes a valid marriage when it is not, this specific scenario, sometimes described as bigamy involving a "second marriage" that lacks the formal solemnisation requirements, has been the subject of nuanced judicial interpretation, and it is worth understanding that if any ceremony genuinely purporting to be a marriage was actually performed, even informally, this could shift the analysis toward genuine bigamy, meaning the precise facts of how this relationship is characterised and represented genuinely matter.

If you have any children from this cohabiting relationship, it is worth understanding that their legal status, including inheritance and legitimacy considerations, would be assessed under the specific legal framework applicable to children born outside a formally solemnised marriage, which differs from the protections specifically extended to children born of a marriage subsequently declared void under Section 16 of the Hindu Marriage Act.

Given how genuinely significant the matrimonial consequences of this conduct are, even absent formal bigamy, it is essential to consult an experienced family law advocate to understand your comprehensive legal exposure. You can reach out via Aapka Legal Advice for a confidential consultation on understanding the genuine legal consequences of this situation, both for you and for the legal status of any children involved.

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If formal legal representation is required, engaging an experienced advocate will ensure you properly understand your genuine legal position.

In summary, a married man living with another woman without formally marrying her does not, by itself, constitute bigamy under Section 82 of the BNS, since this specific offence requires an actual second marriage ceremony, but this conduct nonetheless provides his legally wedded wife with strong grounds for divorce on adultery under Section 13(1)(i), cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia), and potentially desertion under Section 13(1)(ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, meaning the absence of formal criminal bigamy liability does not mean this conduct is without significant legal consequence.