The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO alleging a rise in child marriages in the country and non-implementation of the relevant statute in “letter and spirit.”
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard submissions from the counsel for the petitioner, ‘Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action,’ and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, before reserving the verdict.
The Central Government claimed that there has been a significant decrease in child marriages in the country. Previously, the apex court had directed the Ministry of Women and Child Development to file a status report detailing the steps taken to implement the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.