Sex with Wife Below 18 Is Rape, says Supreme Court

New Delhi, October 11: The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the provision of criminal law that permitted sex by a husband with his minor wife between the age of 15 to 18 years in a child marriage case.

Section 375 of the Indian Panel Code made an exception on the question of sex with minor wife by the husband in child marriage case.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta — in separate but concurring judgements — said the exception was "arbitrary, discriminatory and capricious".

Justice Lokur said the exception has no rational nexus with the objective sought to be achieved by the different statutes. (IANS)