Women have the right to stay in estranged in-laws’ home, says SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said that a woman has the right to stay in the home of her husband’s family even if she is estranged from him. Under the Domestic Violence Act ruled by Justice Ashok Bushan, MR Shah and Subhash Reddy, a woman cannot be evicted by her husband’s family or her in-laws from their home.

The top court said that incidents of domestic violence are rising every day. The never-ending discrimination occurs whether the woman is a daughter, wife, mother, partner or even single living on her own.

In the year 2006, bench of Justices SB Sinha and Markandey Katju had ruled that a woman was only entitled to claim the right to residence in a ‘shared household’.

Ever since the lockdown was declared on 24 March, the number of domestic violence cases had risen in India. Numerous counselling centers, available on call, was opened in various parts of the country to reach out to women undergoing domestic abuse. Many arrests were also made as part of this.