INDIA: Call for Legal Amendments To Protect Elderly

BANGALORE, Karnataka (NewIndExpress), May 1, 2006: ASHA KIRAN, a non-govenment organisation, has demanded making section 498(A) of Indian Penal Code, bailable and compoundable as recommended by Justice Malimath in his report on Criminal Justice System. Saraswathi of Asha Kiran said that Section 498a of IPC has been misused to torture old and sick elders, innocent mothers and sisters. "Under this section, if a woman complains of harassment and cruelty by husband and his relatives, they are all considered guilty till proven innocent." "We demand strict punishment to women and their parents who file cases of 498(A) and 30 percent reservation for husbands in child custody cases," she added. National Crime Bureau statistics quoted by this organisation show that every year about 58,000 cases are filed under section 498(A) in India. At least 600,000 families are threatened of false 498(A) cases every year. She said in the year 2004, 65,000 men committed suicide compared to 43,000 women in India. Around 23000 husbands have committed suicide as a result of domestic violence. Copyright: NewIndpress