The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the government's stand defending the adultery law that punishes a married man for having sexual relationship with a married woman.

As the government defended the retention of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for preserving the "sanctity of marriage", a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked how it preserved the "sanctity" when with the extra-marital affair becomes non-punishable if the woman's husband stands by her.