Supreme Court Rejects Plea Seeking Reforms In Dowry, Domestic Violence Laws

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a PIL which sought the appointment of an expert committee to review and reform the existing dowry and domestic violence laws to stop their misuse.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma observed that society must change and it cannot do anything. Declining to hear the plea, Justice Nagarathna said, “Society must change we can’t do anything. Parliamentary laws are there.”

The petition was filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking reform in domestic violence laws and to prevent their misuse in the wake of the recent suicide of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash.

The plea sought guidelines to prevent the misuse of such laws. The petition also sought direction to the government to record a list of articles/gifts/money given during the marriage and to be maintained with affidavit and the record of same shall be kept and enclosed with the marriage registration certificate.

“The Dowry Prohibition Act and Section 498A of the IPC were meant to protect married women from dowry demands and harassment but in our country, these laws become weapons to settle unnecessary and illegal demands and to suppress the husband’s family when any other nature of dispute arises between husband and wife. And because of these false implications of married man under these laws the real and true incidents against the women are looked at with suspicion,” the petitioner said.

There have been many incidents and cases of false implication of men in dowry cases which has led to a very tragic end and also raised questions on our justice and criminal investigation system, the petitioner said.

He further added that this is not only about one Atul Subhash but there has been a lack of men who have committed suicide because of multiple cases showered upon them by their wives.
“The gross misuse of the dowry laws has defeated the purpose of these laws for which they were enacted,” he said.

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