The Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of IndiaNot only men, but women can also be prosecuted under the Protection of Women against Domestic Violence (DV) Act. Under Section 2(q) of the 2005 Act, a complaint can be made only against an “adult male person”, thereby insulating women from being accused of offences mentioned under the law. In fact, the words ‘adult male person’ are contrary to the object of affording protection to women who have suffered from domestic violence of any kind,” held the bench. It underlined that the classification of “adult male person” subverted the doctrine of equality by restricting the reach of a social beneficial statute meant to protect women against all forms of domestic violence. “We declare that the words ‘adult male’ in Section 2(q) will stand deleted since these words do not square with Article 14 (equality) of the Constitution of India,” it said.

Source: Indian Express October 07, 2016 22:30 UTC