Centre against scrapping Sec 497, wants adultery to be gender neutral

Adultery cannot be removed from the penal statute for being selective in punishing infidel husbands while sparing infidel wives, the Centre told the Supreme

Court in response to a PIL seeking to make this offence contained in IPC Section 497 gender neutral.

Opposing the petition’s demand to scrap Section 497, the Centre in an 11-page affidavit stated that the Law Commission is considering a proposal to make adultery gender neutral.

But till such time the offence cannot be abolished from the statute book as it will destroy the sanctity attached to marriage and the fabric of society at large.

The validity of Section 497 is pending before a Constitution Bench that will deal with the same soon after it concludes hearing on IPC Section 377.