As the world celebrates the empowerment of women, a group of men meet regularly at Sambhaji Park to plan how to protect men from  women who they say ‘misuse legal rights to opress men.’

“Everybody overlooks how women have been misusing laws like Domestic Violence Act and sections of IPC dealing with rape, molestation, etc. all to settle scores with men,” says Rajesh Wakharia, a worker of Save India Family Foundation (SIFF). Other SIFF workers nod in approval. Each has a tale to tell.

Mahesh Kalge (30), a techie, says, “My parents and I were arrested in Dec 2007 for abetting the suicide of my wife who never died. She didn’t want to live with my parents.”

His wife took poison and informed her mother-in-law who took her to the hopsital and got her treated. After recovery, the girl’s parents arrived with a mob, abused Kalge’s family and got them arrested. They were in jail for 27 days and his wife took nearly 37 tolas of gold to live with her parents. 

Sunil (name changed), (29) a government employee from Chadrapur, alleges his wife fabricated a case, accusing him of dowry harassment and his friend of raping her. “Her father kept demanding money from me all the time and when I could not pay, my wife began levelling dowry  charges against me. Her family sought help of a womens’ organisation to file a false case.”

“My friend who tried mediating, was also accused of raping her.” Sunil, his mother, his uncle and his brother were all arrested and jailed for months. Even during court proceedings none of the 15 listed witnesses appeared. Sunil’s wife’s medical reports denied the rape charges. “What liberation are you talking about?” he fumes. Maybe it is time to actually look at the other side of the story now.