Introduction

In India, the narrative around domestic violence is almost entirely centered on women as victims — and with good reason, considering the centuries of patriarchal oppression and abuse they have endured. Laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) were enacted to correct historic injustices and empower women to live with dignity and security. However, this noble objective has had an unintended consequence: the legal invisibility of male victims.

Yes, men can be and are victims of domestic violence, and their suffering is real. But their stories rarely see the light of day — stifled by social stigma, gender stereotypes, and a legal system that offers them no protection.

Alarming Statistics: The Other Side of the Story

While there is very limited official data about male victims of domestic violence in India, the surveys that do exist reveal a grim picture:

• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 4% of married women aged 18 to 49 voluntarily admitted to having committed violence against their husbands.
• A 2005 survey of 1,000 Indian men revealed that 7% had been victims of domestic violence. That number jumped to 29% in 2015.
• In a more recent anonymous survey, a staggering 51% of men confessed to having been victims of domestic abuse by their wives — but only under the condition that their identity would remain undisclosed. These men feared societal backlash, mockery, and the loss of reputation in their communities if they were to speak out.

Internationally, the situation is even more revealing. For instance:

• In the United Kingdom, nearly 40% of domestic violence victims are male, according to various government and academic studies.
• This acknowledgment has led countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia to enact gender-neutral domestic violence laws, providing protection regardless of gender.
• If a nationwide survey were conducted in India in 2025 with full anonymity and legal assurances, the figures would likely expose an even larger, hidden crisis among men.

Legal Framework: Protection Denied to Men

India's domestic violence laws are entirely one-sided when it comes to gender:

• Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives towards a wife. It is a criminal provision with arrest implications.
• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) is a civil law offering protection orders, shelter, maintenance, and compensation — but only to women. And other acts like dowry protection some time family member being reported for rape and other crime
• There is no equivalent legal framework for men. If a man is physically assaulted, emotionally tortured, or harassed by his wife, his options are limited to general provisions under the IPC, which are rarely applied in domestic settings.

Worse still, Section 498A is frequently misused, weaponized in matrimonial disputes as a tool of vengeance or pressure — a fact repeatedly acknowledged by the judiciary.

There is no legal remedy or protection available to men who face domestic violence. Even filing a complaint often results in mockery or suspicion. Ironically, many men end up facing multiple false cases, and in some cases, are arrested along with aged parents, while the real victimization they endure goes unrecognized.

Judicial Observation: Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2014)

In the landmark case of Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar, (2014) 8 SCC 273, the Supreme Court made crucial observations regarding the misuse of Section 498A:

“There is a growing tendency to rope in all family members of the husband in a matrimonial dispute, and arresting them without proper investigation is unjust.”

The Court laid down strict guidelines to prevent automatic arrests, mandating a preliminary inquiry before detaining the accused. The ruling was a relief to countless men and their families who had suffered due to false or exaggerated complaints.

While this case did not address male victimhood directly, it did expose the vulnerability of men within a lopsided legal system, where the burden of proof, public sympathy, the weaponization of matrimonial laws that are supposed to protect, not persecute and institutional support all lie with the woman — regardless of the facts.

Ground Reality: The Stigma of Being a Male Victim

Despite their pain, most male victims choose silence over justice. Why?

• Social stigma: Admitting to being abused by a wife is seen as emasculating or laughable.
• Lack of institutional support: There are no helplines, no shelter homes, no welfare schemes for male victims.
• Fear of legal retaliation: Men worry about being slapped with false cases — under 498A, domestic violence, maintenance, and dowry laws.
• Family pressure: Many men stay in toxic relationships for the sake of children, elderly parents, or fear of public shame.
• Even high-ranking IPS and IAS officers, businessmen, and celebrities have not been spared. These men often endure abuse in silence and agree to huge alimony settlements just to get out of the marriage — not because they were guilty, but because fighting legally is futile. Society sees these men as 'Bahubalis' — powerful and invulnerable — yet they are unable to speak about their trauma, lest it tarnish their public image.

Many high-profile cases have emerged where wives, in collusion with lovers, have killed their husbands. Others have ended in suicides — unable to cope with emotional abuse, financial ruin, and legal harassment through multiple false cases.

In one survey, 51% of men admitted to being victims, but only anonymously — because they feared their reputation in ‘samaj’ (society) would be destroyed. This silence leads to mental health issues, social isolation, and even suicide. As a legal professional, I have personally handled cases where men were driven to severe depression or financial ruin — not only by abusive relationships, but also by the lack of recognition or support.

Whispers in society are now turning into open conversations:

“It’s better to remain unmarried than be legally trapped in a toxic marriage.”

That, in itself, is a tragic commentary on the broken state of our matrimonial laws.

Courtroom Reality: Mediation Over Merits

Another disturbing trend is observed in many High Court and Supreme Court proceedings. Rather than delivering judgments on merits and evidence, courts often attempt to mediate and "settle" the matter — not uncommonly by persuading or pressuring the husband to pay alimony, even if he is the victim.

This becomes especially problematic because:

• Every family court case already begins with mediation under Section 9 of the Family Courts Act.
• Even after prolonged legal battles and mounting false allegations, many cases do not conclude on facts, but on monetary settlement.
• The husband is treated as an ATM, expected to “pay and finish” the matter, no matter the emotional, psychological, or reputational harm he endured.
• This approach erodes faith in the judiciary. If courts, the final protectors of justice, prefer compromise over truth — then what hope remains for genuine male victims?

International Perspective: What Other Countries are Doing Right

Several nations have recognized that domestic violence is not gender-specific, and their laws reflect this reality.

• The UK’s Domestic Abuse Act, 2021 is gender-neutral, offering protection and resources to all victims, including men and LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Australia and Canada both maintain gender-neutral domestic violence statutes and support systems.
• In the United States, while the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) originally focused on female victims, it has been amended to include male and LGBTQ+ victims.
• India continues to lag behind — bound by outdated stereotypes and a blind commitment to gender-specific victimhood.

What India Needs: A Call for Reform

It is time for India to revise its legal and social approach toward domestic violence. The following reforms are urgently needed:

• Enact Gender-Neutral Domestic Violence Laws – Abuse is abuse, regardless of gender. The law must focus on the act, not the actor.
• Amend the PWDVA and Section 498A IPC – Either extend their protection to male victims or create parallel, gender-neutral provisions.
• Establish Helplines, Shelter Homes, and Counselling for Men – Government-funded services must be inclusive.
• Conduct Anonymous National Surveys – To truly understand the scope of the problem, and build policy accordingly.
• Launch Awareness Campaigns – Sensitize police, judiciary, and the public to the reality of male victimhood in domestic spaces.
• Penalize False Allegations Seriously – Without discouraging genuine complaints, laws must deter misuse to restore balance and trust.

The Final Question: How Long Will We Ignore This Truth?

If a woman reports abuse, the system listens. She has legal protection, societal support, and institutional mechanisms in place. But when a man suffers silently, enduring years of emotional, physical, and legal harassment — who hears him?

When even IAS officers, IPS officers, celebrities, and businessmen are forced to bow before an unjust system, paying enormous alimony or silently suffering abuse just to protect their public image — what chance does the common man have?

When courts begin and end with mediation, and men are forced to buy their freedom through alimony rather than getting justice — is that true equality?

When young men now fear marriage more than loneliness, whispering, "It's better to remain single than be legally trapped," — what kind of message are we sending about the institution of marriage and the promise of justice?

When women publicly declare themselves strong, independent, and capable in every field after 75 years of independence, should laws still treat men only as providers and women only as victims?

So we ask:

To the lawmakers, the courts, and to society at large — how many more men must suffer, be falsely accused, be driven to suicide, or be murdered by their abusive spouses before the government finally says — enough that men, too, can be victims?

How long will we let gender decide who deserves justice — instead of truth?

How long will we continue to ignore the truth, just because it doesn’t fit the narrative?