SC notice on uniform marriage age

The SC on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre on a plea to transfer to it 2 petitions pending before Delhi and Rajasthan HCs on the uniform minimum age of marriage for both men and women.

The plea was filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay last October, who had moved one on the subject in HC. Appearing for him before a Bench headed by CJI SA Bobde, senior advocate Geeta Lutrha said identical pleadings are pending in the 2 HCs. She argued SC should decide the matter and transfer of the pleas to it will avoid multiplicity of litigations and conflicting verdicts.

Luthra contended the pleas before HC can be tagged with other 2 pending PILs in SC, seeking implementation of uniform grounds of divorce, maintenance, alimony, adoption and guardianship. Upadhyay’s plea in SC seeks directions to govt to remove the anomalies in minimum age of marriage and make it gender-neutral, religion-neutral and uniform for all citizens.