Marital Rape: Parliamentary Panel and government decide against terming it a criminal offence

NEW DELHI: The issue of marital rape would not be addressed for now as a parliamentary panel accepted the government’s decision to reject classifying it as a criminal offence. The standing committee on home, which examined the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill and the Government’s Ordinance, tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha.

Speaking to reporters, panel chairman Venkaiah Naidu said, “The committee agrees with the government that we shouldn’t disrupt the family system. Though in case of judicial separation, when divorce has not been granted and the matter is in court, any attempt made by the husband to have forced sex with the wife without her consent is rape.”

The decision is significant as the three-member expert committee headed by JS Verma had recommended that marital rape be considered a criminal offence. With the standing committee rejecting this recommendation, the present law will remain.

The panel also recommended that President should not consider clemency in rape and murder cases and mercy petitions should be disposed of within three months. The panel has supported government’s view that in cases the rape victim either dies or is left in a vegetative state, the rapist should be given death sentence.