India, Sept. 26 -- The Delhi high court directed a man to face trial under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for establishing sexual relations with his minor wife holding that personal laws cannot be a ground to seek exemption from criminal liability under penal statutes.

The case presented a unique situation before the court where the husband and wife sought quashing of the criminal case claiming to be validly married under Muslim personal laws. Yet, the state prosecuted the man after the wife presented at a government hospital, eight months pregnant, that led the police to register a crime as the law does not recognise a minor's consent.

A bench of justice Sanjeev Narula in his September 23 verdict, released ...