The Social And Legal Effect Of False 498a, D.V., And CRPC 125 Cases In Maharashtra: An Analysis
- IJLLR Journal
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
Mr. Pramod Lala Shewale, Assistant Teacher, B.N.N. College, Bhiwandi, Dist. Thane, India
ABSTRACT
Marriage in Indian society remains revered as a sacred union. In Maharashtra, it is also believed that marriage is a holy union as per the Indian culture. But rampant misuse of certain protective laws has spawned severe repercussions, especially in Maharashtra. Provisions originally meant for safeguarding women are now frequently misused, downright shamelessly, for personal grudges or sheer financial enrichment purposes. Maharashtra recorded 45331 crimes against women in 2022, with over 31 per cent of them being categorised under Section 498A, according to NCRB data. Later, numerous cases revealed utterly baseless accusations implicating husbands and also elderly parents, along with some pretty distant relatives.
Many court judgments from 2015 onwards highlight that FIRs were frequently lodged after mediation failed and lacked concrete, independent evidence or involved vague allegations. Falsely accused men suffered psychological trauma, and alarming suicide rates rose sharply, with over 697 dying by suicide in 2022, largely due to false matrimonial cases. Strict evidence-based investigations and penalties for false complaints alongside bailable 498A provisions, are among the reforms urged by this paper. Counselling and neutral probes are stressed for genuinely aggrieved parties and those wrongly accused in equally tumultuous circumstances. Expert analysis and obscure legal precedents alongside NCRB statistics underscore an urgent need for somewhat balanced justice and quickly these days.
Keywords: 498A Indian Penal Code; Domestic violence Act; Section 125 criminal court regulation; False FIR; Legal Abuse; National Crime Records Bureau Data; Gender neutrality; Judicial alteration; Senior Citizen abuse; Maharashtra Case Study; Divorce, legal Recommendations; Mental trauma; Maintenance law reform; Counseling and reconciliation; Male suicide; financial loss; Investigation based evidence.
