The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will schedule hearings for pleas regarding marital rape in mid-October. These pleas raise the legal question of whether a husband can be immune from prosecution for rape if he forces his adult wife to have non-consensual sex. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged the importance of these pleas, with lawyer Karuna Nundy emphasizing the need for their prompt consideration.
The bench mentioned that they are currently dealing with constitution bench hearings and will list the marital rape pleas for hearing after the constitution bench matters are concluded. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, estimated that he would need two days to present his arguments, highlighting the significant social implications of the issue.