In the absence of whole-hearted steps to implement the provisions effectively, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 is falling short of expectations.  The Delhi High Court ruled recently that a woman can also be held liable under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. This the court did on the basis of the interpretation that ‘relatives' included not only male but also female members of...

Human rights groups combating sexual assault, women's groups and groups working on child rights have come together to reflect on the extent to which the proposed Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2010 addresses concerns on the ground.  The Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2010, being proposed to bring about changes in the criminal laws with respect to protections against sexual assault, has been a subject of discussion and popular misinterpretation in the...

The body of a business management student, head severed and legs chopped off, was dug out from a paddy field in Muzaffarnagar yesterday in another suspected “honour killing” amid fears that his missing girlfriend might have been murdered too. Police today arrested the girl’s father and brother, though both had got themselves admitted to a nursing home. Last month, a three-month pregnant Delhi-based journalist, whose family didn’t approve of her relationship with...

A newly wed couple in Barmer district has approached the district magistrate seeking permission to end their life after a khap panchayat ordered their separation and payment of Rs 5 lakh. The panchayat had threatened to kill them if the failed to abide by its diktat. According to local reports, the khap panchayat of Bhimda village had ruled on March 5 that one Khama would have to severe her relations...

A MARRIAGE hall in Kolkata is packed with 1200 of India’s poorest citizens. They have trekked here from all over West Bengal, from remote forests and dingy alleyways, from Howrah, East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas. They have come because there is a story to tell, a brutal story that may otherwise never be told. Finally, there are people willing to hear. These people may never bring justice; may never be...