Female Genital Mutilation Violates Constitutional Rights: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday said the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community is violative of Article 21 and Article 15 of the Constitution that guarantees protection of life and personal liberty and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

"It is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution as it puts the female child to the trauma of female genital mutilation," said the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud as the Centre told the court that it supports the petitioner''s plea that it is a crime punishable under the Indian Peal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act).

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