What To Do When My In-laws Harass Me

The worst part of being harassed by in-laws is that the victim himself or herself feels that it is something that should not be discussed with anyone. This makes the situation even worse. One more wrong perception which ruins the situation is that it is only women who are being harassed but it is something which is not true. Even a man may be harassed by his in-laws.

Harassment of a Woman by Her In-laws

There are a number of means and ways through which a woman can be harassed by her in-laws. The harassment may be either by her husband or her mother-in-law or by any other in-laws. A woman can be harassed by:

• with the intention to cause mental torture.

• Denying the paternity of her children in order to torture her mentally.

Suggested Reading: Why Mediation is Important in Divorce Cases

What Can be Done in Case of Harassment by In-laws

Most of the women in the country are unaware of these circumstances which would amount to cruelty and gives them a right to use a legal weapon against her in-laws. The provisions of law dealing with the harassment of a woman by her in-laws are Sections 498- A, 509, 304-B, 306, of the Indian Penal(IPC), the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

Section 498-A, Indian Penal Code

This section covers the cruelty committed either by the husband or by any relative of the husband against a woman. The cruelty may be physical or mental. This is a provision of law which was created for the very purpose to protect a woman from any harassment which she becomes a victim of in her matrimonial home. This is commonly known as the dowry harassment act.

• Cognizable
• Non-Bailable
• Non-Compoundable
• Finable
• Imprisonment up to 3 years

The worst thing about this Section is that it has a loophole which has given the cunning people of the society to use this as a tool to threaten a person and try to extort money from him and his family.

Section 509, Indian Penal Code

If any persons intend to insult the modesty of a woman through any phrases, words, act, or gesture shall be punished under this section. If the in-laws use any words or phrases or make any gesture against her or do any act either in her presence or to her shall be punishable under this section.

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Harassment of a Man by His In-laws

There is a misconception in the country that a man cannot be harassed by his in-laws. It is believed that it is always a man who is the accused in matters of domestic violence and harassment but it is not true. The Indian society is still not able to accept that a man can become a victim of harassment by his in-laws. Even a man can be harassed by his in-laws either in the form of domestic violence or harassing him mentally or physically. There are hardly any laws which deal with the harassment of a man.

However, ingenuity of lawyers can create some solutions in some specific situations.

Here are some of them:

1. Filing a defamation case
2. Filing a theft case
3. Filing a criminal complaint for harassment
4. Filing a criminal complaint for simple hurt or grievous hurt in case of physical violence

There are a number of other crimes for which both men or women can complain. Consult a lawyer and discuss your specific situation. Feel free to submit your case in

Conclusion

The harassment of a man or a woman by his or her in-laws is a topic which needs a lot of attention both by the legislative as well as by the common people. The legislative has made certain acts which deals with the matter but due to the fact that the common people are not able to accept that this is such an important issue to deal with.

The condition is even worse in the case of a man being harassed as there are hardly any laws which gives protection to a man against harassment. For this, there is a strict need to amend some of the acts and to bring man under the definition of a victim.