NGOs laud proposed CrPC amendment

While the married woman has the advantage of falling back on her parents for support, the one in a live-in relationship, in most cases, is estranged from her family. Blame it on the social stigma. And this is where the proposed amendment in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) law would come to her aid, said social activists in the city.

“I have come across several cases, where after a period of time, the woman has been thrown out of the house, even though she is married. So, one can only imagine the number of cases where women in live-in relationships are thrown out when the relationship starts breaking down. This will be a boon to such women,” said Martina Fargose, social worker.

Right now, such cases come under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005. But with such an amendment, things may improve even further for these women, said Fargose. “It will at least guarantee that women will not find themselves out on the street after having lived with a man for several years.”

According to Harish Sadani, honorary secretary, Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), this would be an improvement on the Domestic Violence Act 2005.

“The definition of the ‘aggrieved woman in distress’ in the Act included women in live-in relationships. That itself was a progressive step. It defined that the woman need not be married - it could be a sister, mother or a woman in a live-in relationship,” said Sadani.

“Of course, in such cases it should be verified that the woman actually lived-in with the man.”