Nobel laureate and child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi Thursday hailed the Supreme Court judgement criminalising sex with a minor wife saying it will help to curb child marriages in the country.
The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement on Wednesday criminalised sex with a minor wife aged between 15 and 18 years, saying the exception in the rape law was arbitrary and was violative of the Constitution. Founder of the 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan', Satyarthi said this will help to a large extent to prevent child marriages in future and it will act as deterrent. After this judgement, people will also be scared of arranging marriages with underage girls. "Judiciary in India is much more visionary, forward looking and progressive in taking many decisions. Not particularly in this case, but also protecting human rights, ecology," he further said. He also urged government to ban child pornography sites. Expressing concern over child rape and sexual exploitation, he asked the spiritual leaders to excommunicate those who indulge in these immoral activities. PTI PTI