{"id":215498,"date":"2019-06-10T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T05:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=215498"},"modified":"2019-06-14T14:40:40","modified_gmt":"2019-06-14T09:10:40","slug":"all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allahabad<\/strong> High Court:<\/strong> A Division Bench of Shashi Kant Gupta and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, JJ. affirmed the Judgment of lower court granting a divorce to a lady under Section 13(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, on the ground that her husband committed forcible unnatural sex with her.<\/p>\n

The issue, in this case, was as to whether a marriage can be dissolved on the basis of allegations of forcible unnatural sex with wife. Facts in the case were that a lady (respondent herein) lodged an FIR against her husband (appellant herein) for offences under Sections 498A, 323, 504 and 377 the Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. She filed a petition seeking divorce on the grounds that her husband committed forcible unnatural sex with her several times after marriage. On her refusal to comply with his demands, he beat her up and threatened to not spare her 5-year old daughter and make sexual relations with her as well. He also demanded Rs 40 lakhs and a car in dowry after marriage. She was granted divorce on the basis of her allegations. Husband challenged the judgment of the lower court by way of the present appeal, on the ground that there was no evidence of dowry demand, harassment or unnatural sex. Further, it was argued that medical report had been ignored and the lower court had relied upon the unsupported solitary statement of his wife by ignoring contradictions in her own testimony.<\/p>\n

The Court pointed out that no cross-examination had been done by the husband on the point of unnatural sex because of which it was assumed that those facts had been proved against him. Regarding the contention that wife\u2019s statements were not supported by any witnesses, it was concluded that all the matrimonial wrongs were done inside the wedlock which meant that these were private affairs of the parties. Hence, gathering independent witnesses was not possible. Regarding medical examination, it was concluded that the petition for divorce was filed much after the date of the incident of unnatural sex and sodomy so the medical report could not be obtained.<\/p>\n

The Court agreed with the view taken by the Kerala High Court in Bini T. John v. Saji Kuruvila<\/em>, 1997 SCC OnLine Ker 27<\/a> and Karnataka High Court in Grace Jayamani v. E.P. Peter,<\/em> 1981 SCC OnLine Kar 208<\/a> that unnatural sex, sodomy, oral sex and sex against the order of the nature, against the wishes of a woman or wife was a criminal offence and a marital wrong amounting to cruelty which was a good ground for dissolution of marriage. It was observed that the standard of proof required in a matrimonial case is preponderance of probability.<\/p>\n

The Court also noted that appellant\u2019s first wife had divorced him for similar reasons, which fact supported the wife as far as unnatural sex was concerned. It was held that since the wife was not a consenting party, she would not be in the position of an accomplice; and her testimony could be accepted without corroboration if it inspired confidence. Thus, the impugned judgment was affirmed and the appeal was dismissed.[Sanjeev Gupta v. Ritu Gupta, 2019 SCC OnLine All 2255<\/b><\/a>, decided on 24-05-2019]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Allahabad High Court: A Division Bench of Shashi Kant Gupta and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, JJ. affirmed the Judgment of lower court granting <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8808,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[35906,32849,2570,20061,35907,35908,35867,35905],"class_list":["post-215498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-against-the-order-of-nature","tag-criminal-offence","tag-Cruelty","tag-dissolution-of-marriage","tag-marital-wrong","tag-section-131-of-hindu-marriage-act","tag-sex","tag-unnantural-sex"],"yoast_head":"\nAll HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage | SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Allahabad High Court: A Division Bench of Shashi Kant Gupta and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, JJ. affirmed the Judgment of lower court granting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-10T05:30:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-14T09:10:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Allahabad-High-Court.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"887\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bhumika Indulia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bhumika Indulia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/\",\"name\":\"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage | SCC Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-10T05:30:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-14T09:10:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a\",\"name\":\"Bhumika Indulia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Bhumika Indulia\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_1\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage | SCC Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage","og_description":"Allahabad High Court: A Division Bench of Shashi Kant Gupta and Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, JJ. affirmed the Judgment of lower court granting","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2019-06-10T05:30:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-06-14T09:10:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1330,"height":887,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Allahabad-High-Court.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bhumika Indulia","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bhumika Indulia","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/","name":"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage | SCC Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-06-10T05:30:23+00:00","dateModified":"2019-06-14T09:10:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/06\/10\/all-hc-sex-against-order-of-nature-against-the-wishes-of-wife-a-criminal-offence-and-marital-wrong-amounting-to-cruelty-which-is-a-ground-for-dissolution-of-marriage\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"All HC | Sex against order of nature, against the wishes of wife \u2013 a criminal offence and marital wrong amounting to cruelty, which is a ground for dissolution of marriage"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a","name":"Bhumika Indulia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg","caption":"Bhumika Indulia"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_1\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":349218,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/05\/31\/forced-unnatural-sex-not-punishable-u-s-377-ipc-but-attracts-s-498-a-if-coupled-with-cruelty-assault-mp-high-court-scc-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":0},"title":"Forced Unnatural Sex not punishable under S. 377 IPC, but attracts S. 498-A if coupled with cruelty\/assault: MP High Court","author":"Ritu","date":"May 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Cruelty under Section 498-A IPC does not necessarily require proof of dowry demands; physical or mental cruelty alone is sufficient.","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Madhya Pradesh High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195303,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2018\/04\/18\/marital-rape-a-husband-cannot-be-permitted-to-treat-his-wife-like-a-chattel-and-violate-her-dignity\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":1},"title":"Marital rape: A husband cannot be permitted to treat his wife like a chattel and violate her dignity\u00a0","author":"Saba","date":"April 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Gujarat High Court: While deciding the present case wherein the focal point was marital rape and unnatural carnal activity, the Bench of J.B. Pardiwala, J., observed that a wife is not a chattel and a husband having sexual intercourse with his wife is not merely using a property, he is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GujHC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GujHC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GujHC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GujHC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GujHC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196986,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2018\/06\/14\/acts-of-sodomy-and-forcible-unnatural-intercourse-amount-to-cruelty-and-are-grounds-for-a-decree-of-divorce\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":2},"title":"Acts of sodomy and forcible unnatural intercourse amount to cruelty and are grounds for a decree of divorce","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"June 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Punjab and Haryana High Court: A Division Bench comprising of M.M.S. Bedi and Hari Pal Verma, JJ., allowed the appeal against the decision of the family court wherein appellant\u2019s petition for a decree of divorce was dismissed. The appellant (wife) was married to the respondent (husband). She alleged that the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":311895,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/01\/20\/family-court-grants-dissolution-of-marriage-ground-not-pleaded-petition-madras-hc\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":3},"title":"Family Court grants dissolution of marriage on ground not pleaded in petition: Madras HC sets aside order","author":"Apoorva","date":"January 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Madras High Court said that the wife was always ready and willing to live with the husband along with two children. It is the husband, who is running away from the matrimonial home without discharging his duty and responsibility as a husband.","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"madras high court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":324130,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/06\/11\/husbands-conviction-for-murder-constitutes-mental-cruelty-wife-is-entitled-to-divorce-mp-high-court-scc-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":4},"title":"Husband\u2019s conviction for murder constitutes mental cruelty; wife entitled to divorce: MP High Court","author":"Ritu","date":"June 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNo wife can live in the matrimonial relationship with the person who is so short-tampered and impulsive turned criminal.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Madhya Pradesh High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Madhya-Pradesh-High-Court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":372388,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/01\/13\/forced-unnatural-sex-by-husband-amounts-to-cruelty-but-cant-be-rape-mp-hc\/","url_meta":{"origin":215498,"position":5},"title":"“Forced unnatural sex by husband is cruelty under S. 498A IPC, not rape”: MP HC quashes Rape, Section 377 IPC charges","author":"Sonali Ahuja","date":"January 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cForced unnatural sex by a husband on his wife amounts to cruelty under Section 498A of the IPC, but cannot be prosecuted as rape under Section 376 of the IPC as in a Section 377 context, marital rape concept is not recognized under current law because of the express marital\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Forced unnatural sex by husband is cruelty","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forced-unnatural-sex-by-husband-is-cruelty.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forced-unnatural-sex-by-husband-is-cruelty.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forced-unnatural-sex-by-husband-is-cruelty.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forced-unnatural-sex-by-husband-is-cruelty.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8808"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}