Domestic violence is one of the major crimes against women in India. In India domestic violence is a crime under section 498A of the Indian Penal code 1860. This section protects a married woman from being subjected to cruelty by her husband or the relatives of husband and this offence is punishable with three years of imprisonment and fine. This is a cognizable offence which means that police officer can arrest the accused with out Warrent.
The government of India introduced this provision to deal with dowry deaths and harassment of women in particular.
To deal with the increasing cases of domestic violence in society the government of India had passed Protection of women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 to ensure that a woman could safely reside in her matrimonial home. Under this Act the victims of domestic violence were personally assisted with protection officer and various rights to ensure their safety.
However the government has not Fully achieved it’s purpose of ensuring a safe environment free from harassment from women as there are still many cases which go unreported because of various reasons one of them is fear of being judged by society. Women in many interior parts of the country miserably fail to speak up for themselves and continue being victims of the violence. As a matter of fact, we know that the misuse of such law is becoming a common problem in India these days and so accordingly, the government needs to take some harsh steps to deal with the same.