871: Podcast | Understanding the Debate Over Marital Rape

<div>“Can India turn a blind eye towards marital rape?”<br> <br> </div> <div>This question is being<a href="https://www.thequint.com/news/law/rebecca-john-marital-rape-exception-delhi-hc-legal-fiction-antiquated-notion-of-marriage#read-more"> argued in the Delhi High Court</a>, where a two-judge bench of Justices Rajiv Shakder and C Hari Shankar are hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with rape.<br> <br> </div> <div>Now, while this section has undergone a series of amendments over the years where it emphasises on the importance of consent, this pre-colonial exception of marital rape has continued to tag along into the 21st century.<br> <br> </div> <div>Essentially, this exception allows marital right to a husband who can, with legal sanction, exercise his right to consensual or non-consensual sex with his wife.<br> <br> </div> <div>This provision has been struck down in others countries like the UK, Canada and Australia. But the big question—Why does India continue to have this exception?<br> <br> In today’s episode, we will discuss how this exception came about, the arguments being heard in Delhi High Court, and will striking down this exception amount to creating a new offence?<br> <br> </div> <div> <strong>Guests: </strong>Vakasha Sachdev</div> <div><br> </div> <div> <strong>Host and Producer: </strong>Himmat Shaligram</div> <div> <strong>Editor:</strong> Vakasha Sachdev</div> <div><br> </div> <div><br> </div> <div> <strong>Music:</strong> Big Bang Fuzz</div> <div><br> </div> <div><strong>Listen to The Big Story podcast on:</strong></div> <div><br> </div> <div>Apple: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fapple.co%2F2AYdLIl&amp;redir_token=G9sQMbbppKv-LEFD29gDyTmPMzt8MTU3MTM4MDU5NkAxNTcxMjk0MTk2&amp;v=xkpX1V6aUFo&amp;event=video_description">https://apple.co/2AYdLIl</a> </div> <div>Saavn: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2oix78C&amp;redir_token=G9sQMbbpp