कौटुम्बिक अनाचार (incest) कब अपराध है?

समस्या-

रामचंद्र ने जोधपुर राजस्थान से पूछा है-

कौटुम्बिक अनाचार (incest) अभिरक्षा में बलात्कार है या नहीं? जहाँ पत्नी पति के पक्ष में नहीं है वहां क्या पति व्यभिचारी पत्नी के खिलाफ प्राथमिकी दर्ज करवा सकता है? यह भारतीय दंड संहिता की धारा 376 और 377 के अंतर्गत अपराध है या नहीं?

समाधान-

आप का प्रश्न अत्यन्त गंभीर है। सब से पहले आप को जानना चाहिए कि धारा 376 तथा 377 भारतीय दंड संहिता में दण्डनीय अपराध क्या हैं?

धारा 375 तथा 376 भारतीय दंड संहिता को 2013 में संशोधित किया गया है। धारा 375 में बलात्कार को परिभाषित किया गया है, तथा धारा 376 में विभिन्न परिस्थितियों में किए गए बलात्कार के लिए दंड की व्यवस्था दी गई है। दोनों धाराएँ निम्न प्रकार हैं-

‘375. A man is said to commit “rape” if he-—

a.     penetrates his penis, to any extent, into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or

b.    inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, the urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or

c.     manipulates any part of the body of a woman so as to cause penetration into the vagina, urethra, anus or any ~ of body of such woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or

d.    applies his mouth to the vagina, anus, urethra of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person, under the circumstances falling under any of the following seven descriptions:— First.—Against her will. Secondly.—Without her consent.

Third/y.—With her consent, when her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested, in fear of death or of hurt.

Fourth/y.—With her consent, when the man knows that he is not her husband and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or believes herself to be lawfully married.

Fifth/y.—With her consent when, at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome Substance, she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent.

Sixthly.—With or without her consent, when she is under eighteen years of age.

Seventhly.—When she is unable to communicate consent.

Explanation I.—For the purposes of this section, “vagina” shall also include labia majora.

Explanation 2.—Consent means an unequivocal voluntary agreement when the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act:

Provided that a woman who does not physically resist to the act of penetration shall not by the reason only of that fact, be regarded as consenting to the sexual activity.

Exception I.—A medical procedure or intervention shall not onstitute rape.

Exception 2.—Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape.’.

Punishment for rape.

376.

1.     Whoever, except in the cases provided for in sub-section (2), commits rape, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not he less than seven years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

2.     Whoever,—

a.     being a police officer, commits rape—

                      i.        within the limits of the police station to which such police officer is appointed; or

                     ii.        in the premises of any station house; or

                    iii.        on a woman in such police officer’s custody or in the custody of a police officer subordinate to such police officer; or

b.    being a public servant, commits rape on a woman in such public servant’s custody or in the custody of a public servant subordinate to such public servant; or

c.     being a member of the armed forces deployed in an area by the Central or a State Government commits rape in such area; or

d.    being on the management or on the staff of a jail, remand home or other place of custody established by or under any law for the time being in force or of a women’s or children’s institution, commits rape on any inmate of such jail, remand home, place or institution; or

e.     being on the management or on the staff of a hospital, commits rape on a woman in that hospital; or

f.     being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman; or

g.    commits rape during communal or sectarian violence; or

h.     commits rape on a woman knowing her to be pregnant; or

i.      commits rape on a woman when she is under sixteen years of age; or

j.      commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent; or

k.     being in a position of control or dominance over a woman, commits rape on such woman; or

l.      commits rape on a woman suffering from mental or physical disability; or

m.   while committing rape causes grievous bodily harm or maims or disfigures or endangers the life of a woman; or

n.     commits rape repeatedly on the same woman, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section,—

a.     “armed forces” means the naval, military and air forces and includes any member of the Armed Forces constituted under any Jaw for the time being in force, including the paramilitary forces and any auxiliary forces that are under the control of the Central Government!, or the State Government;

b.    “hospital” means the precincts of the hospital and includes the precincts of any institution for the reception and treatment of persons during convalescence or of persons requiring medical attention or rehabilitation;

c.     “police officer” shall have the same meaning as assigned to the expression “police” under the Police Act, 1861;

d.    “women’s or children’s institution” means an institution, whether called an orphanage or a home for neglected women or children or a widow’s home or an institution called by any other name, which is established and maintained for the reception and care of women or children.

Punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim.

376A. Whoever, commits an offence punishable under sub-section (l) or sub¬section (2) of section 376 and in the course of such commission inflicts an injury which causes the death of the woman or causes the woman to be in a persistent vegetative state, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, or with death.

Sexual intercourse by husband upon his wife during separation

376B. Whoever has sexual intercourse with his own wife, who is living separately, whether under a decree of separation or otherwise, without her consent, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation.—In this section, “sexual intercourse” shall mean any of the acts mentioned in clauses (a) to (d) of section 375.

Sexual intercourse by person in authority.

376C. Whoever, being—

a.     in a position of authority or in a 6duciary relationship; or

b.    a public servant; or

c.     superintendent or manager of a jail, remand home or other place of custody established by or under any law for the time being in force, or a women’s or children’s institution; or

d.    on the management of a hospital or being on the staff of a hospital, abuses such position or 6duciary relationship to induce or seduce any woman either in his custody or under his charge or present in the premises to have sexual intercourse with him, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than 6ve years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation l.—In this section, “sexual intercourse” shall mean any of the acts mentioned in clauses (a) to (d) of section 375.

Explanation 2. —For the purposes of this section, Explanation I to section 375 shall also be applicable.

Explanation 3.—”Superintendent”, in relation to a jail, remand home or other place of custody or a women’s or children’s institution, includes a person holding any other office in such jail, remand home, place or institution by virtue of which such person can exercise any authority or control over its inmates.

Explanation 4.—The expressions “hospital” and “women’s or children’s institution” shall respectively have the same meaning as in Explanation to sub-section (2) of section 376.

Gang rape.

376D. Where a woman is raped by one or more persons constituting a group or acting in furtherance of a common intention, each of those persons shall be deemed to have committed the offence of rape and shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years, but which may extend to life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and with fine:

Provided that such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses and rehabilitation of the victim:

Provided further that any fine imposed under this section shall be paid to the victim.

Punishment for repeat offenders.

376E. Whoever has been previously convicted of an offence punishable under section 376 or section 376A or section 3760 and is subsequently convicted of an offence punishable under any of the said sections shall be punished with imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, or with death.’.

धारा 375 में बलात्कार की परिभाषा ही यही है कि “एक पुरुष द्वारा बलात्कार करना तभी कहा जा जाएगा जब कि वह …” इस प्रथम वाक्य से ही यह स्पष्ट हो जाता है कि केवल पुरुष ही बलात्कार कर सकता है, एक स्त्री या गैर पुरुष नहीं।

धारा 377 भारतीय दंड संहिता निम्न प्रकार है-

377. प्रकॄति विरुद्ध अपराध — जो कोई किसी पुरुष, स्त्री या जीवजन्तु के साथ प्रकॄति की व्यवस्था के विरुद्ध स्वेच्छया इन्द्रियभोग करेगा वह 1[आजीवन कारावास] से, या दोनों में से किसी भांति के कारावास से जिसकी अवधि दस वर्ष तक की हो सकेगी, दण्डित किया जाएगा और जुर्माने से भी दण्डनीय होगा ।

स्पष्टीकरण–इस धारा में वर्णित अपराध के लिए आवश्यक इन्द्रियभोग गठित करने के लिए प्रवेशन पर्याप्त है ।

इस धारा में “जो कोई” शब्द का प्रयोग किया गया है। इस तरह इस धारा के अन्तर्गत किसी भी मनुष्य को अपराधी ठहराया जा सकता है। किन्तु इस मामले में साबित करना होगा कि अभियुक्त द्वारा किसी पुरुष, स्त्री या जीवजन्तु के साथ प्रकृति की व्यवस्था के विरुद्ध स्वेच्छया इन्द्रियभोग किया गया है। सुरेश कुमार कौशल बनाम नाज फाउण्डेशन के जिस मामले में सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय द्वारा धारा 377 को अवैध ठहराने के निर्णय को निरस्त किया है उस मामले में भी इस धारा की जिस तरह व्याख्या की गई है उस से भी ऐसा लगता है कि कोई स्त्री इस तरह का अपराध नहीं कर सकती।

हमें नहीं लगता कि कोई अपनी पत्नी के विरुद्ध इन दोनों धाराओं में कोई प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट दर्ज करवा सकते हैं, या पुलिस इस तरह की प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट दर्ज कर सकती है।

यदि कोई व्यक्ति यह जानते हुए भी किसी स्त्री के साथ उस स्त्री के पति की सम्मति या मौनानुकूलता के बिना संभोग करता है कि वह स्त्री किसी की विवाहिता है तो वह अपराध करता है। इस तरह के मामले में उस स्त्री का पति अपनी पत्नी के साथ इन्द्रीयभोग करने वाले व्यक्ति के विरुद्ध धारा 497 भारतीय दंड संहिता के अन्तर्गत प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट दर्ज करवा सकता है। मामला साबित होने पर ऐसे व्यक्ति को दंडित किया जा सकता है। लेकिन पत्नी दुष्प्रेरक के रूप में दंडित नहीं की जा सकती। धारा 497 भा.दं.संहिता निम्न प्रकार है-

497. जारकर्म–जो कोई ऐसे व्यक्ति के साथ, जो कि किसी अन्य पुरुष की पत्नी है और जिसका किसी अन्य पुरुष की पत्नी होना वह जानता है या विश्वास करने का कारण रखता है, उस पुरुष की सम्मति या मौनानुकूलता के बिना ऐसा मैथुन करेगा जो बलात्संग के अपराध की कोटि में नहीं आता, वह जारकर्म के अपराध का दोषी होगा, और दोनों में से किसी भांति के कारावास से, जिसकी अवधि पांच वर्ष तक की हो सकेगी, या जुर्माने से, या दोनों से, दण्डित किया जाएगा । ऐसे मामले में पत्नी दुष्प्रेरक के रूप में दण्डनीय नहीं होगी।