law: Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973
  
  198.Prosecution for offences against marriage.-
  (1) No Court shall take cognizance
  
  of an offence punishable under Chapter XX of the Indian Penal Code(45 of 1860)
  
  except upon a complaint made by some person aggrieved by the offence:
  
  Provided that-
  (a) where such person is under the age of
  
  eighteen years, or is an idiot or a lunatic, or is from sickness or infirmity
  
  unable to make a complaint, or is a woman who, according to the local customs
  
  and manners, ought not to be compelled to appear in public, some other person
  
  may, with the leave of the Court, make a complaint on his or her behalf;
  (b) where such person is the husband and he is
  
  serving in any of the Armed Forces of the Union under conditions which are
  
  certified by his Commanding Officer as precluding him from obtaining leave of
  
  absence to enable him to make a complaint in person, some other person
  
  authorized by the husband in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (4)
  
  may make a complaint on his behalf;
  (c) where the person aggrieved by an offence
  
  punishable under section 494 of the Indian Penal Code(45 of 1860) is the wife,
  
  complaint may be made on her behalf by her father, mother, brother, sister, son
  
  or daughter or by her father's or mother's brother or sister.
  (2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), no person other than the husband of
  
  the woman shall be deemed to be aggrieved by any offence punishable under
  
  section 497 or section 498 of the said Code:
  
  Provided that in the absence of the husband, some person who had care of
  
  the woman on his behalf at the time when such offence was committed may, with
  
  the leave of the Court, make a complaint on his behalf.
  (3) When in any case falling under clause (a) of the proviso to sub-section
  
  (1), the complaint is sought to be made on behalf of a person under the age of
  
  eighteen years or of a lunatic by a person who has not been appointed or
  
  declared by a competent authority to be the guardian of the person of the minor
  
  or lunatic, and the Court is satisfied that there is a guardian so appointed or
  
  declared, the Court shall, before granting the application for leave, cause
  
  notice to be given to such guardian and give him a reasonable opportunity of
  
  being heard.
  (4) The authorization referred to in clause (b) of the proviso to sub-section
  
  (1), shall be in writing, shall be signed or otherwise attested by the husband,
  
  shall contain a statement to the effect that he has been informed of the
  
  allegations upon which the complaint is to be founded, shall be countersigned
  
  by his Commanding Officer, and shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by
  
  that Officer to the effect that leave of absence for the purpose of making a
  
  complaint in person cannot for the time being be granted to the husband.
  (5) Any document purporting to be such an authorization and complying with the
  
  provisions of sub-section (4), and any document purporting to be a certificate
  
  required by that sub-section shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed
  
  to be genuine and shall be received in evidence.
  (6) No Court shall take cognizance
  
  of an offence under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, (45 of 1860) where
  
  such offence consists of sexual inter-course by a man with his own wife, the
  
  wife being under fifteen years of age, if more than one year has elapsed from
  
  the date of the commission of the offence.
  (7) The provisions of this section apply to
  
  the abetment of, or attempt to commit, an offence as they apply to the offence.