Muslim personal law not above POCSO act. Marriage with a girl under 18 is not permitted.

In one of its rulings, the Allahabad High Court made it clear that the law prohibiting child marriage applies to all religions. The court said that marrying off Muslim girls at a young age under Sharia violates the POCSO Act.

The court stated that no personal law, including Muslim Personal Law, can violate the prohibition on child marriage under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, nor can it override the POCSO Act.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act has been in force since 2006 and prohibits child marriage before the age of 18. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, on the other hand, protects children from sexual abuse.

A bench of Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Achal Sachdeva said that the Sharia provision recognizing puberty as the appropriate age for a girl’s marriage is contrary to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the POCSO Act. The court clarified that the legal age of marriage is the same for every citizen of the country, regardless of their religion.(UPDATED ON 8TH JULY 2026)