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Husband `torture` cases on rise in Orissa

Strange though it may seem, there has been a steady rise in "atrocities" on husbands in Orissa. This was revealed here today by the chairperson of the State Commission for Women Namita Panda during an informal chat with reporters.

Bhubaneswar: Strange though it may seem, there has been a steady rise in "atrocities" on husbands in
Orissa. This was revealed here today by the chairperson of the State Commission for Women Namita Panda during an informal chat with reporters. She said the SCW came to know about the rather strange fact after it started receiving complaints about men being "tortured by their wives". Official sources said that though the SCW was taking complaints of men being tortured till 2002, it had stopped taking complaints after objections were raised by some women activists. They claimed the SCW had no business to take complaints from males. Panda, however, asked officials to receive complaints from husbands last May. "We have received at least 38 petitions from tortured husbands against their wives within three months," she said. The SCW chairperson pointed out that receiving complaints from husbands helped the Commission know the truth behind allegations made by their wives. The Commission has from 2002 to August, 2007 received as many as 567 cases, of which 404 were resolved. "Many times it was observed that wives make false complaints against their husbands over petty family disputes," Panda said. In most cases, women misuse Section 498 of the IPC and Dowry Prevention Act, she alleged. Sources said that Khurda district which comprised the state capital of Bhubaneswar topped the list of male torture cases with the SCW receiving 116 complaints followed by Cuttack with 74 petitions, 43 from Bhadrak district and 42 from Jajpur district. Puri district registered 37 cases in the SCW. Bureau Report