Protection of Wife from Domestic Violence Act 2005
Primarily meant to provide protection to the wife or female live-in partner from domestic violence at the hands of the husband or male live-in partner or his relatives, the law also extends its protection to women living in a household such as sisters, widows or mothers. Domestic violence under the act includes actual abuse or the threat of abuse whether physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or economic. [3] Harassment by way of unlawful dowry demands to the woman or her relatives would also be covered under this definition. The salient features of the Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 are as follows: The Act seeks to cover those women who are or have been in a relationship with the abuser where both parties have lived together in a shared household and are related by consanguinity, marriage or a relationship in the nature of marriage, or adoption; in addition relationship with family members living together as a join...
