Make adultery punishable: TRS to Centre

​Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP B Vinod Kumar on Friday demanded the Union Law Ministry to introduce an appropriate section to the Indian Penal Code in the coming Parliament Session making adultery punishable irrespective of which spouse including husband or wife commits it in order to protect the nature and sacred institution of marriage and family in India.

The TRS MP wrote a letter to the Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on the Judgement of the Supreme Court on Section 497 (Adultery), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and requested for introduction of provision for adultery in the IPC. However, he said that one cannot by any means interpret the judgement to mean that the Supreme Court intended to condone or encourage adultery in society. 

“Unfortunately, judging by the cartoons and reportage in some sections of the media that was being wrongly interpreted by a large section of the public, as reflected in the social media posts - wherein an impression was being created that amongst the public that adultery is now acceptable. This could cause irreparable damage and chaos to the institutions of marriage and family in our society, and have a traumatic affect on children who could also suffer the unpleasantness of such adulterous relationships in the absence of any sanction under the law,” said Vinod. 

Vinod said it must also be noted that while majority of the woman in our society often continue to have little power over their marriage, as an equal partner, the striking down of the above provision could also embolden men to commit adultery in various situations of power, including in social hierarchies that unfortunately continue to exist despite our best efforts and the accompanying laws to prevent such atrocities. 

“Given the social and moral fabric of our nation and our value systems, I would urge the Ministry of Law and Justice, to introduce an appropriate Section to the IPC, wherein Adultery is punishable irrespective of which spouse i.e., husband or wife commits it, in order to protect and nurture the scared institution of marriage and family in India. 

Such a section would also be in keeping with our cultural ethos and traditions as a nation that has placed great value on family, matrimonial promises and relationships for thousands of years,” said Vinod Kumar.