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Wife beaters beware!
India's Domestic Violence Act comes into effect.
BY CORRESPONDENT
October 27, 2006
Wife beaters beware. What lies in store for you is jail. For, what could be called India’s first law aimed at controlling domestic violence, is here. Men who beat or threaten wives could be jailed and fined under the law.
The new law, which has came into effect on Thursday, applies to men or their families who harass wives for larger dowries too. The law targets preventing cases in which a husband or his family kills a wife because her family did not give dowry.
The Domestic Violence Act defines abuse broadly, including verbal, physical, sexual, emotional and economic mistreatment. Violators face up to a year in prison, a fine of Rs 20,000 or both. According to government sources, around 70 per cent of women are victims of violent acts. The new law has provisions for abused women to complain directly to judges instead of police.
Once a complaint has been registered, it is up to the man to prove that he did not abuse his wife. The law also ensures the woman's right to stay in the family home.
Giving the thumbs up to the new legislation, women's rights activists and civic groups termed it as the victory for the women's movement in this country which has been fighting for years for laws that protect the basic rights of women.
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