Even as incidents of injustice against women continue unabated in Maharashtra, a Pune-based outfit championing the rights of men, has passed a rash of resolutions as it is feeling “threatened” by the laws enacted to protect women.
An organisation calling itself Purush Hakka Sanrakshan Samiti (PHSS) held its all-India summit in Kolhapur district and demanded an amendment to Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with crimes related to outraging a woman’s modesty.
The PHSS demanded that the section ought to include a provision on men being molested as well and said it would press the Devendra Fadnavis-led government to make the required amendments in the upcoming session of the Maharashtra legislature.
The group also sought compensation for a husband “whose wife has stopped living with him or has left for her parents’ place without seeking his consent”.
The outfit mooted the constitution of “men’s vigilance cells” in every district to address the domestic woes of men. According to the PHSS, these cells would forward complaints to the family court or the Bombay High Court.
“In many cases, women abruptly leave their husbands or stay with their parents, but still file a petition in court demanding compensation or alimony. In such cases, the husband must be granted a special compensation to be paid by either the wife or the government. Moreover, Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), dealing with maintenance awarded to wives, needs to be amended or a corresponding clause pertaining to men must be added,” said Santosh Shinde, president of the PHSS.
He said that a man being humiliated by a woman should also be considered a molestation victim. “Section 354 is applied only when a woman files a complaint. There should be an extension of the law for men’s benefit,” he pointed out.
