[8] Recently a District court in Mumbai has observed that Domestic Violence is not limited to mere physical injuries or abuse, but includes sexual, verbal, emotional and economical abuse Read more Pursuant to Chapter III of the Act, the aggrieved person has the right to:[9] The aggrieved person also has the right to reside in the shared home regardless of whether or not she has any title or ownership over the home.
[6] The Ministry of Women and Child Development in each State or Union Territory is required to recognize and notify of shelter homes available to aggrieved persons.
When Maharashtra attempted to follow the recommendations in the committee's report, the legal status of non-marital, live-in relationships was brought into public discussion.
[5] The committee's recommendations were in fact cited in a legal case, Chanmuniya vs Virendra Kumar Singh Kushwaha and Another (2010), to support an interpretation of the definition of "wife" to include relationships where a marriage is "presumed" due to a long period of cohabitation.
[15] One criticism revolves around the law's lack of effective force in responding to the criminal act of domestic violence.
[16][17] Men's organizations such as the Save Indian Family Foundation have opposed the law, arguing that it might be misused by women during disputes.
[2][18] Renuka Chowdhury, the Indian Minister for Women and Child Development, agreed in a Hindustan Times article that "an equal gender law would be ideal.
[19] Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee has also criticized the broad definition of verbal abuse in the act.