Reintroduce adultery section in gender-neutral form, says panel

The standing committee on home affairs is expected to recommend that adultery be retained in the proposed Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill (BNS) in a gender-neutral form to protect the sanctity of marriage. The committee is considering whether to reintroduce the adultery provision from Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code or to delete it altogether. The committee’s decision could mean that either the man or woman in a marriage can be charged with adultery. The Supreme Court had previously read down Section 497, ruling it unconstitutional.