Supreme Court of India (File Photo) Supreme Court of India (File Photo)The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that sex with wife aged between 15 and 18 years would be a punishable offence under the Indian Penal Code. The apex court said an exception in the rape law is discriminatory, capricious and arbitrary. “The exception in rape law under the IPC is contrary to other statutes, violates bodily integrity of girl child,” the bench said. The Supreme Court asked the Centre and state governments to take proactive steps to prohibit child marriages across the country. The petition by NGO Independent Thought had challenged the exception clause (2) in Section 375 IPC (which deals with rape) that says intercourse or sexual act by a man with his wife, not below 15 years, is not rape.

Source: Indian Express October 11, 2017 05:47 UTC