Congress leader Renuka Choudhary on Thursday hailed Supreme Court’s verdict of scraping of the pre-Independence provision of adultery in the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, she felt more clarity was needed.
She asserted that present ruling in which the Adultery law has been termed unconstitutional will create confusion as adultery still remains a valid ground for divorce and it may be misused against the ordinary citizen.
Speaking to agencies, Choudhary said, “Adultery is not a crime now in one dimension but there are other dimensions that the court need to examine before giving out a law like that which creates confusion in the rank and file. Still to divorce a man, adultery comes into play so it is very confusing for an ordinary citizen where he doesn’t understand how adultery can be one thing in one way and another in different context. There needs to be a lot more clarity. I am glad that it’s not a crime anymore, but court should see across the board and give more clarity.”
She also drew comparisons with the Triple Talaq verdict asserting, “This is like criminalising the Triple Talaq law, they have done that but now the men would simply abandon and not give talaq to women. It will encourage polygamy and Nikah-halala which creates hell for women.”
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously struck down Section 497 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) which penalises adultery.
