Marital rape as a ground for divorce: SC asks petitioner to approach HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to frame appropriate guidelines for registration of FIR for marital rape and frame laws for making it a ground of divorce.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and B R Gavai asked the petitioner advocate Anuja Kapur to approach the high court for the relief. Kapur then withdrew her plea.

In the plea, she contended that there should be a clear guideline for registration of cases related to marital rape under framed guidelines and laws, so that accountability, responsibility and liability of the authorities concerned can be fixed.

She also sought direction to the government for fixing appropriate punishment/penalties for violation of the guidelines and laws to be framed and enacted respectively.

"Marital rape is no less an offence than murder, culpable homicide or rape per se. It denigrates the honour and dignity of a human being, and reduces her to a chattel to be utilised for one's self convenience and .