Which one of the following statements is not true of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005?
This Act provides civil remedies to protect a woman subjected to domestic violence.
Only women can make a complaint under this legislation.
Relief may be sought only against the husband or a male live-in partner with whom the woman has lived in a domestic relationship.
The Act includes not just wives but also women in marriage-like relationships.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2016
The correct answer is C, as the statement that relief may be sought only against the husband or a male live-in partner is not true.
Section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, defines ‘respondent’ as any adult male person who is, or has been, in a domestic relationship with the aggrieved person. However, the proviso to this section explicitly states that an aggrieved wife or female living in a marriage-like relationship may also file a complaint against a relative of the husband or the male partner, which includes female relatives (like mother-in-law, sister-in-law). Therefore, relief can be sought against female relatives as well, not just against the husband or male partner.