The Home Ministry has asked the Law Commission to deliberate on the issue of criminalising marital rape, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

"The Ministry of Home has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the subject of marital rape during the course of its comprehensive review of Criminal Justice System," Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply.


The minister said the Pam Rajput Committee had made certain recommendations for safety of women which also included criminalisation of marital rape. The recommendations of the Committee had been sent to the concerned ministries/departments for taking action, she said.


"Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that the Law Commission of India, while making its 172nd Report on 'Review of Rape Laws' in March 2000, did not recommend criminalisation of marital rape. "However, the Justice JS Verma Committee, while giving its report on 'Amendments to Criminal Laws' in January 2013, recommended that the law ought to be amended to delete the marital rape exception," she said.