AIDWA to fight attempt to dilute dowry violence law

New Delhi, Aug 28 (UNI) The All India Democratic Women's Association today made a strong plea for retaining Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code, designed to protect women from dowry-related violence.

It said it was unfortunate that attempts were being made to whip up campaign against the provision.

The section states, ''Whoever, whether the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.'' The offence is non-bailable and cognizable. This provision seeks to protect women from domestic violence due to the demands for dowry.

In a statement here, the Delhi unit of AIDWA sought to point out that Section 498-A was enacted in 1983 following a massive campaign by women's organisations and other social rights groups.

Since then, there has been a pressure to dilute this provision on the grounds that it was liable to be misused. However, studies had shown that actual conviction in such cases was less than two per cent.

Further, there was no conviction under 498-A alone. The accused have been prosecuted under other sections (as for instance 302, following the death of the victim) along with 498-A, it said.

Section 498-A can, of course, be misused, like any other legal provision. The remedy does not lie in doing away with such provisions but ensuring that legal processes were just and fair to all, said AIDWA.

UNI