SC junks plea for gender-neutral rape, molestation law

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea seeking gender-neutral rape and molestation laws saying that it was open to parliament to change the law in response to changing society.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud rejected the plea as PIL petitioner, advocate Rishi Malhotra described the provisions of criminal law being women-centric and discriminatory to men.

Rejecting the plea, Chief Justice Misra questioned: "You are saying a male can be victim. How can a man make a complaint of rape."

As Malhotra pressed his plea for making the provisions gender neutral, Justice Chandrachud observed: "You are saying that woman can also stalk a man. Well the question is open. The law is open to the parliament for change."

The court's observation came as he urged the court to make the crime of rape and molestation gender-neutral and also punish a woman as a rapist, contending that men alone should not be accused of rape and describing the provision of criminal law as discriminatory.

--IANS

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