How people usually put it
My husband beats me when he drinks. In-laws are demanding gold. He threw me out of the house. He left me and gives nothing for the child. Bharthavu upadravikkunnu. Streedhanam chodikkunnu. Chelavinu paisa tharunnilla. ഭർത്താവ് ഉപദ്രവിക്കുന്നു. ജീവനാംശം വേണം.
If it is happening now
Call 112, or the women's helpline 181; for children, 1098. Go somewhere safe. One-stop centres (Bhoomika in Kerala, 181) arrange shelter, medical help, police assistance and counselling in one place.
What the law says
The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 covers physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse by a husband or any adult in a shared household, including in-laws and live-in relationships. A complaint goes to the Protection Officer of the district, a service provider, the police or directly to the Magistrate. The court can pass:
- a protection order stopping further violence and contact,
- a residence order so she cannot be thrown out of the shared household, even if she does not own it,
- monetary relief for maintenance, medical costs and loss of earnings,
- custody of children and a compensation order.
Cruelty by a husband or his relatives is an offence under BNS section 85 (formerly IPC 498A). Demanding dowry is an offence under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, and a dowry death within seven years of marriage falls under BNS section 80.
Maintenance for a wife, children and parents who cannot support themselves is claimed under BNSS section 144 (formerly CrPC 125) before the Magistrate, and under the personal law or the DV Act before the Family Court. Interim maintenance can be ordered while the case runs. A child's right to maintenance from the father exists regardless of the parents' dispute.
Divorce by mutual consent is filed in the Family Court; a waiting period applies between the two motions and can be waived in deserving cases. A contested divorce follows the grounds in the applicable personal law.
Steps
- Get to safety and, if injured, have a doctor record the injuries — the medical record matters later.
- Note dates and incidents; keep messages, call recordings, photographs and witness names.
- Contact the Protection Officer, 181, or the police. Ask for a DIR (Domestic Incident Report) to be prepared.
- File the DV application before the Magistrate, and a maintenance petition in the Family Court.
- Apply for free legal aid at the DLSA — women are entitled to it as of right, whatever their income.
Keep ready
Marriage proof, identity documents, evidence of the husband's income (salary slips, ITR, property, business), children's birth certificates and school fee records, medical records, and the list of gold and gifts with photographs or bills.
This guide is legal information, not legal advice, and reading it creates no advocate–client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. For anything serious, consult an advocate — and if you cannot afford one, the District Legal Services Authority will give you a lawyer free of cost.
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