New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) The government is unlikely tochallenge the Supreme Court verdict terming sex with aminor wife as rape as it feels that the judgement will work asa deterrent to child marriages.
A senior government functionary said here that the apexcourt order will help curb child marriages as it has createdthe needed "legal deterrent".
The functionary said that the government is happy withthe verdict and is unlikely to challenge it.
The apex court had on Tuesday held that sexualintercourse with a girl below 18 years of age, even by thehusband, would now amount to rape.
The apex court read down a provision in the Indian PenalCode of 1860 exempting males from being tried for rape if thewives were between the age of 15 and 18 years.
The top court also made clear that it had not "dealt withthe larger issue of marital rape (sexual intercourse with wifewithout her consent) of adult women" as it was not raisedbefore it.
Before the judgement, the provision stated that sexualintercourse by a man with his wife is not rape if she is notunder 15 years of age. PTI NABRT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.