The Abolition of Section 376(2)(b) IPC: A Relic of the Past
criminal clat_ug beginner reform_ideaSoni Soorya (CLAT UG 2026): Yeh provision lagbhag hamein 21st aadmi ko lagta hai ki puranaa hai aur nahi chahiye. 376(2)(b) IPC kehte hain ki agar koi ladki apne pati ke saath jaldi-shadi ho jaati hai, aur phir uske pati ne usse physical torture ya rape kiya hai, toh isko IPC me 'dowry death' ke liye punish kiya ja sakta hai. Yeh kya? Mera mann nahin karta hai isse pehle, phir iske baad bhi toh nahi chahiye.
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Section 376(2)(b) IPC, yaar, it's a tricky one. The provision indeed penalises rape by a husband, but it wasn't always the case. Until its abolition in 2018, it was a part of Section 375, not 376. The SC had already ruled in 2017 that marital rape is a valid ground for criminal offence, but the abolition of this provision was a more formal step towards recognising the inherent cruelty of marital rape.