‘ Decriminalising adultery to add to pain of women’
New Delhi, Sept. 27: The Supreme Court verdict declaring adultery is not a crime was welcomed by many Thursday but some experts sounded a note of caution, calling it antiwomen and warning that it could give a license to people to have “illegitimate” relationships.
A five- judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra unanimously struck down Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code dealing with the offence of adultery, holding it manifestly arbitrary, archaic and violative of the rights to equality and equal opportunity to women.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal said decriminalising adultery completely is just going to add to the pain of women in the country.
“Totally disagree with the Supreme Court judgement
on adultery. The judgement is antiwomen. In a way, you have given a open general license to the people of this country to be in marriages but at the same time have illegitimate relationships,” she said.
“What is the sanctity of marriage?” she asked.
Social activist Brinda Adige also sought clarity and asked whether the verdict allows polygamy.
“Because we know that men very often marry two, three times and there is so much of problem when the first, second or third wife are abandoned. If adultery is not a crime, how is this woman even going to file a case against the husband who might desert or abandon her. It’s a concern,” she said.
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury agreed with her. “This is like criminalising the triple talaq law. Now the men will just abandon us or not give us talaq. They will have polygamy or nikah hallala which creates hell for us as women. I am glad it’s not a crime anymore but I do not see how it helps,” she said.