Shield or Sword? An Inquiry into the Misuse of the Domestic Violence Act and its Socio-Legal Ramifications for Men

The hallmarks of a civilised society are its laws which are designed to protect the vulnerable. But what if the very instrument of protection becomes the instrument of chaos and harassment? This possesses a real problem that is still unresolved. It has been seen that the very laws enacted to protect women are being misused by them to exploit men and to harass them. This leads to not only a legal challenge but a social challenge as well. The fact that cannot be ignored is that everyone experience violence in their lives, though the frequency of it may not be the same for all. The article attempts to examine the dual crisis of the protective laws, especially the “Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005”. The research undertaken for this article reveals that there exist cases where false reports and complaints were filed to extort money or to exact revenge or cause any other kind of distress to innocent men. The article also analysis the societal factors and legislative loopholes that have systematically failed to protect men from abuse. The central theme of the article is that rights of every individual are equally important.