The petitioner, Singh, argued that such laws harm men.
NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to declare Sections 2, 3, 4, and 8A of the Dowry Prohibition Act unconstitutional, advising the petitioner to raise the issue in Parliament.
“We are not inclined to entertain this. Dismissed. Take it to Parliament,” said the two-judge bench, comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran.
Singh, the petitioner, claimed these laws negatively impact men, asserting their invalidity and requesting appropriate directions. However, the Supreme Court found no merit in the case and rejected it.
The PIL accused women-centric laws of being misused, citing malice, unreasonableness, and inconsistency in their application. Singh challenged the validity of provisions under the Dowry Prohibition Act, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cruelty against women, alleging misuse.
The petitioner sought a directive from the Supreme Court to protect men from false complaints and abuses of these laws. Singh also argued that the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is religiously discriminatory and challenged the women-centric nature of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, claiming it discriminates against men.
The Prime Minister of India, the Union of India (UOI), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have been named as respondents in the PIL.
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