New Delhi, March 4 (IANS): A court here, rejecting bail of a man accused of sodomising his pregnant wife, held that a victim of marital sexual abuse cannot be discriminated against only because she is the offender's wife and has to be treated as any other rape victim.

Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said: "She (victim) is the responsibility of the state (Delhi government) and is required to be taken care of just as any other victim of aggravated sexual assault and abuse...

"...the state cannot abdicate its responsibility and she cannot be discriminated only because she happens to be the wife of the sexual aggressor."

The court, while declining bail to the man Monday, said that he can not be treated with leniency as allegation against him are serious in nature.

The court was hearing a case lodged by the woman, a resident of Keshav Puram here, against her husband, who after consuming alcohol, allegedly forced her into unnatural sex even when she was pregnant.