Supreme Court upholds minor girl’s marriage under personal law, dismisses NCPCR challenge

The Supreme Court dismissed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ (NCPCR) challenge to a Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling that upheld the validity of a minor Muslim girl’s marriage under personal law.

A Bench led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna held that the Commission lacked locus standi to contest the order, which protected the couple from threats.

The Court highlighted the need to consider societal realities around consensual adolescent relationships and cautioned against criminalising such cases.

The Union Government opposed lowering the age of consent from 18 to 16, citing risks of trafficking, while others argued consensual acts between teens should not be criminalised.