NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking reduction of the age of consent from 18 to 15 years.

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu dismissed the petition filed by an advocate who pleaded for fixing legal age for consensual sex at 15 years. The advocate said many youngsters who are under 18 are being booked for rape despite having consensual sex.

"In most of the cases of kidnapping and rape by juvenile, girls willingl go away with boy and have consensual sex. But society does not accept it. There is a need to reduce the age. In almost all developed countries, the age is fixed at 16 and in many countries it has been even fixed below 16," the petitioner, C R Jaya Sukin, said.

He said these countries do not show any evidence that lower age have led to more teen pregnancies, child abuse, sexual trafficking and rape. He tried to convince the court for reducing the age by pointing out that not only in developed countries but in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka as well the age of consent is below 16. But the bench remained unconvinced.