Legal Resources

1. Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act 2005

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 came into effect from 26 October 2006. It protects a wife or female live-in partner from violence at the hands of the husband or a male live-in-partner or his relatives. Domestic violence under the Act includes actual abuse or the threat of abuse, whether physical, sexual, verbal emotional or economic. Harassment by way of dowry demands are also covered under the definition of domestic violence. Information regarding an act of domestic violence can be lodged by any person who has reason to believe that such an act has been or is being committed and not necessarily by the aggrieved person.

See Government’s webpage at:

http://www.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3937&Itemid=3124

See an explanation of the Act in MALAYALAM at:

http://keralawomenscommission.gov.in/vanithaweb/images/pdf/domestic.pdf