Allahabad High Court: Sharia Law Child Marriages Violate Indian Law

The Allahabad High Court ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act applies equally to all religions in India, and no personal law can override it. The court rejected arguments from Muslim petitioners who claimed Sharia law's puberty-based marriage age was valid, stating that this contradicts both the POCSO Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. The court clarified that the marriageable age is 18 for all citizens, regardless of religion, and that allowing marriages before this age violates the POCSO Act. The case arose from an attempt to stop a 16-year-old Muslim girl's marriage in Uttar Pradesh, where police were obstructed by those involved.