Domestic Violence
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, popularly called as Domestic Violence Law or DV provides variety of rights to women victim of Domestic Violence.
Such rights include claim of monetary relief, rights to residence, compensation for domestic violence, protection order, and child custody amongst other reliefs.
Domestic violence Act has come into force with objective of expeditious disposal of the claim of women who are victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence complaint is filed in the Court of Magistrate who is empowered to pass exparte orders. Domestic violence has come in to force with objective of providing economic justice and independence to women victim of domestic violence.
Domestic violence law specifically provides the right to residence. Right to residence includes in living in the shared house hold irrespective of fact whether wife has right, title or interest over the property/residence. This specific provision is inserted in Domestic Violence law to arrest the menace of abandoning the woman and children, if any, without roof and shelter in case of matrimonial disputes. DV Act also provides for alternate accommodation. Hence, law cast a mandate on the husband to provide residence to the wife. Such residence can be shared house hold where husband and wife lived together and made such house as their matrimonial house. Alternatively, law mandates husband to provide alternate residence comparable to the one previously enjoyed by the wife while living together.
Case under domestic violence law is initiated by filing a complaint detailing all events of domestic violence before the Court of magistrate. Such complaint is generally accompanied by interim application. Magistrate trying the complaint is empowered to execute summons of the case through protection officer or by the concerned police station. In dire case requiring urgent relief, court has power to grant exparte order(order in the absence of the other party). For example, wife is abandoned by the husband and she is in immediate danger of loss of roof over her head. She can approach to the Court for directions that she may not be evicted from the house rather she should be allowed to stay in the shared house hold or matrimonial home. Court under such grave circumstances is competent to pass exparte order restraining the husband or any other family member from dispossessing her from the shared house hold or matrimonial home.
Another important feature of Domestic violence law is that relief can be claimed not only against husband but also against in laws.
Earlier there were views the domestic violence complaint cannot be filed against women. Rationale behind such views was that Domestic violence is for the protection of women. However, this controversy is set to rest by a decision of Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. Hence, complaint for domestic violence is maintainable against female or women.
Scope of law is further widened wherein it is clarified that not only wife but any other female living in domestic relationship can seek remedy. Thus, sister or mother can claim relief against son or father and/or brother for the relief.
Domestic violence law for the first time recognizes existence of legal rights to female who are not married to claim monetary relief, residence, compensation etc from her partner. In other words, women living as “live in relationship” has given benefits, protection, right and claim under domestic violence law.