INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The bench adjourned the matter for July 9 and also issued notice to Kerala and Telangana
mutilation (FGM) is a "crime under existing laws".Attorney General KK Venugopal asked a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice DY
Chandrachud and Justice AM Khanwilkar to "step in and issue directions" on the issue."It is a crime punishable with imprisonment of seven
years under the existing law," he said.The government's response came on a plea seeking direction to ban female genital mutilation or
"Khatna", as it is commonly called, and declare it illegal and inhuman.The bench adjourned the matter for July 9 and also issued notice to
It had earlier issued notice to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi.The plea filed by advocate Sunita Tihar challenged the practice
prevalent among the Dawoodi Bohra religious community and sought direction to declare it illegal and unconstitutional, non-compoundable and
a non-bailable offence.Ms Tihar contended that India was a signatory to the UN Convention on Rights of Child and had also ratified
it.Describing the practice as "inhuman" and violative of the girl child's rights under the Constitution's Article 14 (Right to Equality) and
Article 21 (Right to Life), the petitioner advocate sought putting in place a statutory framework.The plea sought framing of guidelines to
deal with the situation till Parliament enacts a law to curb the practice being followed by some sects of a community.Seeking declarations
that FGM be made a non-compoundable offence, the petitioner sought direction to the state police chiefs to act against the people engaged in
the practice under the existing law, until the enactment of a law in this regard.(This story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent
staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
