Chandigarh, Nov 21 (IANS) The Domestic Violence Act, which aims to shield the rights of women, is being misused by some to harass their in-laws and extort money from their husbands, an NGO alleged here Saturday.
Representatives of Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), an organisation that is fighting for the rights of Indian husbands, said cases of men being harassed by their wives clearly outnumber the cases of harassed women.

“According to the statistics of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), nearly 22,000 Indian men had committed suicide because of dowry harassment in the last three to four years. Whereas during the same period, only 6,800 women committed suicide,” SIFF coordinator Vikas Kapoor said.

“The most startling fact is that out of the 22,000 suicides by men, only six cases were registered against their wives and only one of them was called for questioning. In the last three years, 7,000 men were put behind bars and 68 percent were later found innocent,” he added.

SIFF demanded the setting up of a ‘crime against men cell’ in every state of the country and a national commission for men to take up these issues.

“The main reason of harassment is false dowry cases or domestic violence allegations levelled by women against their husband and in-laws by misusing the law,” said Arun Kumar, another activist of the organisation.

“We have received countless such cases in the past few months where wives are demanding exorbitant amounts to settle the case outside court. Even inquiry officers themselves admit this fact but they are helpless as there is no space for husband’s rights in our law,” stated Kumar.

According to SIFF, more than 98 percent of Indian husbands face domestic violence at least once from their wife on an average three years of marriage in terms of economical abuse, mental harassment and relationship cheating.