Harassed husbands unite to fight in Tamil Nadu. US should take note.

Harassed hubbies unite to fight [DC]

After years of silent suffering, harassed husbands are finally fighting back. Usually at the wrong end of the 498A (IPC) – cruelty to women, Dowry Prohibition Act and the newly- enacted Prevention of Domestic Violence Act they have approached courts to protect themselves from the use of these Acts and are organising themselves into groups to help the similarly distressed among their community.

Citing a case where a retired IAS officer’s daughter filed a dowry harassment case against her aged in-laws, advocate Abudu Kumar pointed out that the Supreme Court had observed, “By misusing the provision (498-A) a new legal terrorism can be unleashed. It also suggested the legislature to find out ways how the makers of frivolous complaints or allegations can be appropriately dealt with.” “If the 80s and 90s saw laws being enacted to protect women, the next few years could see more legal pronouncements to prevent the misuse of these prowomen laws where the husband is at the receiving end,” he observed.

Though these three legislations were enacted to protect women from harassment, they have been converted into weapons to settle personal scores. Some women tend to misuse the Acts and unnecessarily drag the husband’s family members who even get thrown into jail in the process. Recently, former vice-chancellor of Madras University P.T. Manoharan landed in trouble when his daughter in-law committed suicide alleging matrimonial dispute between her and her husband. Her brother accused Manoharan and his family of harassing his sister for dowry. Manoharan, his wife and daughter got relief only when the high court quashed the charges against them on August 28.

“This case is a classic example of misuse of the statutes. The family has nothing to do with the crime but was unnecessarily dragged into it and harassed,” said their counsel B. Sriramalu. Popular film star Prashant is also facing the charge of dowry harassment, as his wife Grihalakshmi preferred a complaint against him. [THE END]