The High Court in Karnataka, India, ruled that a rape defendant will still have to face charges for rape and other crimes even though he was married to his victim. The Indian Penal Code criminalizes rape but exempts marital rape cases. This high court ruling does not strike down this exemption in the law, but it does rule that rape charges are still applicable even if the victim and perpetrator were married. Several parallel cases in other states also challenge the constitutionality of marital rape.
Compiled from: Apurva Vishwanath, Johnson T. A. Rape is rape, even if man is husband: Karnataka HC. The Indian Express (March 24 2022).