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Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you decide to file a domestic violence complaint, a Protection Officer (PO) is generally the first point of contact for you. Anyone, including someone you know, can visit, call, or write to a Protection officer in your districtRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Counselling refers to the provision of professional guidance by a counsellor, who will help you and your harasser settle the matter of the domestic violence you have faced, furnish a guarantee that violence will not repeat, and come upRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. To get money or compensation from the harasser, you can file an application 1 with the Court asking for monetary relief with the help of a lawyer or a Protection Officer. The Court will pass an order to compensate youRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. To seek immediate protection from domestic violence, you should file an application with the Court with the help of a Protection Officer or a lawyer. The Court will pass a protection order to give you and your child/children protectionRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you are being thrown out of your shared household (house) by your harasser or you don’t feel safe living in your house, you can approach the Court for help with the assistance of a lawyer or a ProtectionRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. You can also reach out to certain helplines that will help you file a complaint, locate the relevant Protection Officer, and provide additional help and support. The relevant governmental helplines are listed below. Violence and Crimes Police If youRead more

In addition to filing a case for domestic violence, where you can seek, among other things, protection or monetary relief, you can also1 file a criminal case with the Court against the harasser if the violence you faced is severe. By filing a criminal case, the harasser would be punished for the act of violence committedRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. While filing a domestic violence complaint, you might need additional support and help, which you can access by approaching the authorities listed below.  Support and Assistance Protection Officer You can also approach the Protection Officer of your district, whoRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you have faced domestic violence, then you can file an application with the Court (Civil Court, Family Court or Criminal Court) for immediate help and protection1. You should take the help of a lawyer and if you doRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Medical Facilities If you have been subjected to domestic violence, it is your right to receive medical assistance. You can approach the Protection Officer of your district or any service provider working within the ambit of women’s rights, andRead more

Domestic violence refers to violent or abusive behavior in a household that causes harm and may put the health and safety of a woman or any child under her custody in danger. With the help of the law1, you can: Prevent further violence by getting immediate protection. To get immediate protection, you can approach differentRead more

There is no specific time limit1for filing a complaint against domestic violence, but you must be able to prove that you were in a domestic relationship with the harasser at the time the violence took place. However, if there is a delay in complaining against the domestic violence that you have faced, you might beRead more

To prevent arrests from frivolous cases and misuse of the law on cruelty and dowry cases, the Supreme Court of India has issued certain guidelines for the police to follow while investigating cases of cruelty. This was later issued as an advisory circular by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Police The police should not arrest the husbandRead more

When the death of a woman within 7 years of her marriage was unnatural, i.e. caused by burns or injuries which are not ordinary and she had also suffered from cruelty or harassment because of demands for dowry, it is assumed that the husband or the relatives of the husband committed the crime of cruelty. Death by suicide is also considered as aRead more

Indian law criminalises the actions of cruelty and death resulting from dowry demands. This is known as dowry death. If the death of the wife was because of harassment for dowry demands, the husband and the in-laws of the woman can be punished. In cases of cruelty and harassment, you can approach the police stationRead more

All crimes under this law are non-bailable offences. Therefore, a person arrested under this law cannot get bail as a matter of right. However, bail can be granted at the judge’s discretion.Read more

Usually, in criminal law it is upon the person making the complaint to prove that the person they are accusing has committed the crime. But in cases of dowry the person against whom there is a complaint has to prove that they are innocent. For Example, if Simran makes a complaint that Raj has askedRead more

Giving gifts or presents by either the bride or groom at the wedding is not punishable when it has been done voluntarily. Bride: When such presents are made by or on behalf of the bride or any person related to the bride, such presents should be of a customary nature. The value of the gifts should not beRead more

If dowry has been given or taken at or after your wedding and the same is received by your husband or in-laws or any other person, they have to hand it over to you as it is your property. You have a right to any property given as dowry to your husband and his family. There isRead more

It is illegal to advertise dowry in any newspaper, periodical, journal or any other media, the offer of any money, share in a business or property as dowry in return for marrying your son, daughter or relative. Anyone who prints, publishes or circulates such an advertisement is committing a crime will also be punished withRead more

Any agreement for the exchange of dowry is not valid. You cannot go to court if your future or existing father-in-law refuses to pay dowry after entering into an agreement to pay you dowry. The agreement will be treated as if it never happened. It has no legal effect.Read more

It is important to note that Mehr or Dower given during Muslim marriages is not the same as dowry. The exchange of Mehr that takes place is as per religious and customary practice, and is absolutely legal.Read more

There is no time limit on when you can file a complaint under this law. You can file a complaint of dowry anytime after marriage. However, you cannot file a complaint after a divorce. The practice of giving, taking, demanding and advertising dowry is illegal. In case you have had to pay dowry at theRead more

Any person who: gives or takes dowry, and anyone who helps in the exchange of dowry. can be punished under the law. For Example Raj(groom) and Simran(bride) are getting married. Simran’s father, Amrish gives Rs. 10 lakh and a car as dowry to Raj’s father Anupam. Scenario 1: When the broker is involved: If theRead more

It is illegal to demand dowry from anyone related to the bride or groom as a condition of marriage. If you demand dowry you can be punished with jail time between 6 months and 2 years and/or fine which may go up to Rs. 10,000.   powered by TypeformRead more

Dowry is anything which has value (such as cash and property) which is given by the bride’s family to the groom’s family as a condition of marriage. 1 The law does not stop the exchange of gifts with the fiance’s family during the wedding. The purpose of this law is to prohibit coercion during theRead more

Under muslim personal law, a muslim male can marry not only a muslim woman but also a Jew or a Christian Woman. The only prohibition is with the muslim woman who cannot marry anyone who isn’t a muslim. 1 A woman can renounce Islam and marry anyone who is not a muslim, thereby completely changingRead more

Islam recognizes polygamy, which means the practice of having more than one wife at a time. A muslim man is permitted to have a maximum of four wives at a time. However, Courts have held this is not an unrestrained right. 1 If a man marries a fifth wife, the marriage is not unlawful or invalidRead more

The right to contract the marriage of a minor or a person with unsound mind in marriage belongs to the following sets of people who are guardians1: Father.Paternal grandfather how high so ever.Brother and other male relations on the father’s side. If these paternal relations are not there then the right goes to: Mother.Maternal UncleRead more

For those people with an unsound mind, marriage can take place with the permission of the guardian, but this option can only be exercised when the person with an unsound mind recovers reason or becomes sound.  1 Mulla, D. F., Sir. (n.d.). Principles of Mahomedan Law (20th ed.) p.330.[↩]Read more

The validity of a marriage can be checked through the nikahnama, which is considered integral to a religiously-valid Islamic marriage. The Qazi will maintain the nikahnama. If there is no nikahnama then the Qazi himself can be the witness. 1 The nikah can also be done though phone or the internet. 2 It will beRead more

Certain relationships are prohibited under the law. This means that a person cannot marry certain kinds of relatives1: Blood Relations  You cannot marry your mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, great-niece, aunts, or great aunts. You also cannot marry someone who is also related to you through such relatives. For example, you cannot marry yourRead more

The marriage has to take place in the presence of1: Two male witnesses or One male and two female witnesses.  These witnesses must be muslims, adults and of sound mind. The Sunni School of muslim law, specifically requires two witnesses to present while the Shia School of Law does not require the presence of a witnessRead more

There should be a proposal of marriage made by or on behalf of one of the parties and the other party has to accept this proposal. Both the bride and groom have to say Ejab e Qubool (Qubool hai), which means “I agree”. 1 This has to be said out of their own will andRead more

For a marriage to be legally recognized as a muslim marriage, the following conditions must be met1: Age A couple can get married if they have attained puberty (usually 15 years).  Mental State A person with mental illnesses can get married if their guardian has given consent to the marriage. ‘Consent’ or agreeing to getRead more