Men from across the city wore badges that read ‘Husband not an ATM machine’, ‘Alimony kills her real potential’ and the like on Monday to mark the third anniversary of the Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) coming into force here.
These men were victims of the misuse of laws like the PWDVA, section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (husband or relative of husband subjecting a woman to cruelty), section 125 of the Criminal Procedures Code (maintenance of wives, children) and child custody laws, which, they claimed, were heavily biased in favour of women.
Jinesh Zaveri, a member of the Indian Family Foundation (IFF) said, “Men who complain about physical or verbal violence inflicted by their wives are generally portrayed as cartoons. It needs to be understood that a huge number of men in the country has been caught in the web of false cases registered by their wives under various laws.”
Mr. Zaveri claimed that 98 per cent of all domestic violence cases were found to be baseless and false. He said: “We stand by the women who file genuine cases. But these laws, made for Sitas, have been cashed in on by Surpanakhas. Many women misuse these laws to exact alimony from their husbands. We are instead in favour of sponsoring professional courses for wives so that they become self-sufficient after parting from their husbands.”
Jaspreet Singh, a member of the IFF, said that he had to give 50 per cent of his salary to his wife as alimony, while she herself earned 50 per cent of his salary. The amount was huge considering that their marriage had lasted only a year and they had not had any children.
Dr. Sandeep Padwale, another member of the organisation, said that his wife was employed but had claimed to be otherwise in her affidavit. The emotional turmoil had cost him his job.
In order to address the problem of false cases, the men demanded a provision for punishment for all those misusing the law. They said that there should be a separate section in the IPC to safeguard the rights of men who were victims of the misuse of domestic violence laws. They also demanded the formation of a Ministry of Men’s Welfare “as it would take care of the very originator and contributor of the tax to the government.”
Mr. Zaveri said that the most basic problem encountered by men was that the police did not register cases against their wives. As a result there were no statistics regarding the number of men suffering because of false cases of domestic violence.
The organisation, therefore, used suicide statistics obtained from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to arrive at estimates of misuse.
Mr. Zaveri said that as per the figures, over 56,000 married men committed suicide compared to 30,000 married women in 2007. Out of every 100 male suicides, 45 were married, while for every 100 female suicides, 25 were married.
He said that not only did false cases under the PWDVA drive the husbands to suicide but they also took a toll on the health of the husband’s parents.
Yes, it is true. I say this because I suffer the misuse of the Act.
Women always have soft corner at every corner of this earth. This is a
black and baseless law and create curruption in our society if wife
engage with another and husband opposed for that and if wife's family is
also currept and hungry for money then they use thrir daughter and file
a false case under section 498A. This act is not protect a woman, this
act is protect curruption in our socity and breke a familier life and
relationship. Every family has men and women then why 498A.
To all the men here: I am sure what oyur suffering is something that I cannot even start to imagine, it seems to me that you have to bear the brunt of the law, which is unfair, no doubt. But please do keep in mind the following stats: one-third of the women in the age group of 15-49 age group has been a victim of domestic violence. ONE-THIRD. Do all of you together constitute one third of all of mankind? and if you do, does the suffering even come close to the suffering suffered by the raped, molested, assaulted women in homes around you ? It is for these women that this law has been made. And I never meant to equate your hardships with all the other womens neither did I mean to belittle them. But please do see a national legislation in perspective, respected gentlemen.
I dont understand how these draconian laws like 498A and DV are being passed in the Parliament when it is the 'Men' in the Parliament who are reviewing the laws before passing them. Some unscrupulous MPs have created these draconian laws for settling their personal scores and as a result of which the whole 'Man'kind in India is suffering. Time has come for government to amend these laws making them gender neutral or otherwise the married Male population of this country would very soon become an extinct species.
I am a govt. official.My wife was stayed with me for only one year. She deserted me 7 years back. After desertion she applied for restitution of conjugal rights which is pending in the court.After two years of desertion I have applied for divorce which is also pending in the court. Now after 7 years of desertion, she filed a suit for domestic violence.kindly advice me how to go ahead with this .
I also suffer the misuse of the Act.
Is it possible that a small percentage of the cases filed by wives under the Domestic Violence Act is spurious? Certainly--and of course we should work to ensure that spurious/frivolous cases are minimised. But is it possible that 98% of the cases filed by wives are spurious, as this article suggests? Certainly not.
I am a merchant navy officer. I have invested all my money in my wife's name and bought various plots of land, mutual funds & shares in her name. Now when I am 59 years old and about to retire from service, my wife is showing me the door. I have lost almost everything. I kept all the ornaments in a bank locker and advised the bank to make it a joint operation, but somehow my wife had tricked the bank people and removed all the items. Now she has filed a case under domestic violence. Today her lawyer came to my place and made several threats to extort money from me. I need help.
We are from a highly educated family. My wife was with me for only 60 days (20 days x 3 times) and has charged D.V. Act against me. Can we say it as misuse of the Act? Can we say she married me to make money?
Yes, it is true. I say this because I suffer the misuse of the Act. Women always have soft corner at every corner of this earth.
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