India, Sept. 8 -- The Supreme Court on Monday said it will await the stand of the central government on a batch of petitions concerning the criminalisation of marital rape before fixing a suitable date for hearing on the issue.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned a petition related to the prosecution of a husband for marital rape before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, urging that the batch be listed for a date in November.

Jaising, who appeared for the wife, said although the matters are scheduled to come up for hearing on Wednesday, the Centre was yet to file a substantive reply and that the parties were also yet to exchange the petitions. "Union has not filed a reply, except a preliminary objection.. I am ...