Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code was brought into force in the year 1983 with an aim to protect married women against dowry harassment, physical and mental cruelty. However, the law was initially designed in a way, where mere word of the woman was enough for husband and his family to be taken into custody – often without even an investigation.
Over the years, various high courts and even the apex court have made strong remarks on the rampant misuse of this law by certain ‘disgruntled wives’ to settle score with their in-laws. These acts of false cases don’t remain limited to court orders, but have also resulted in several men, their parents, even siblings, ending their lives after being implicated in false criminal cases by women.
About the Law
Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code says: Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty. – Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. Explanation.—For the purpose of this section, “cruelty” means—
(a) any wilful conduct which is of such a nature as is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) of the woman; or
(b) harassment of the woman where such harassment is with a view to coercing her or any person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any property or valuable security or is on account of failure by her or any person related to her to meet such demand.
Having given the above background on Section 498A, Faridabad Police handle posted the below tweet on Sunday evening. The tweet read:
Same Story
Marriage Happened
Couldn’t Get Along
Did Not Sustain
Then came explosion
A Dowry Case Was Obvious
When In-laws refused to entertain tantrums, how would courts give in?
Found after many years
Now will have to take pheras (wedding ceremony) of the courts
Without getting into the merits of the case, Men’s Rights Activists called out this insensitive tweet, especially because it came from an official police handle.
Amit Lakhani, President – Men Welfare Trust, said:
This tweet by @FBDPolice which I found not just extremely insensitive & irresponsible but also deriving sadistic pleasure of the fact that dowry cases are filed at the drop of the hat if the marriage doesn’t work for whatever reasons, the tweet has been deleted.
Amit also tagged Commissioner of Police, Haryana and suggested,
@opsinghips @police_haryana With our team of @SFFNGO @MenWelfare I’ll be happy to conduct a gender sensitization program for officers handling matrimonial cases/ gender based crimes. Looking at the thought process behind such tweets, it seems this is the need of the hour.
Lakhani also said that when a verified handle of police department puts out such a tweet, its speaks volume about the ground reality of Anti-Dowry laws in India.
@FBDPolice tweets “शादी हुई, नहीं बनी, नही चली …. दहेज का केस तो होना ही था” It tells so much about the ground reality of anti dowry laws in India. Just about anything between the couple turns into a dowry case when the marriage is falling apart
This proves that case is fake every thing can be termed as dowry by police now a days
Yellow hawai chappal, blue jeans and a yellow-black zebra T-shirt. Dowry seeker arrested after several years. Somewhere there is a celebration of happiness while somewhere there is a wave of sorrow. How about this?
ALSO READ –
NRI Husband: My Wife, Her Family Travelled Everywhere On My Expenses & Later Filed False 498A On Me
Man Sues Wife For Defamation Post Being Acquitted In False 498A Case After 3-Years; Court Admits Case
“I Spent 9-Days At Tihar Jail After My Wife Filed False 498A On Me, Family”: Senior Executive, MNC
Bombay High Court: “Every Case Of Harassment To Married Woman Is Not ‘Cruelty’ Under Section 498A”
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