Keywords: PIL, Suicides among Husbands, NCRB, WHO, National Commission for Men, Law Commission of India, Suicide Rate
Advocate Mahesh Kumar Tiwari filed a PIL requesting to come up with guidelines to address the issue of rising number of suicides among married men and establish the ‘National Commission for Men’ to safeguard their interests.
The petitioner sought a direction to the central government to issue appropriate guidelines to the relevant authorities in order to address complaints of victims of domestic violence.
The petitioner also requested that the Law Commission of India be directed to conduct research on the matter of suicides among married men.
The counsel representing the petitioner argued before the court that the data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2021 was concerning. The data indicated that in the year 2021, 33.2% of men took their lives due to family issues and 4.8% due to marital disputes. Overall, 72% of suicides were committed by men and 27% by women.
Highlighting the significant rise in the suicide rate among men in the country attributed to family issues, the petitioner stated that approximately 8 million people worldwide succumb to suicide annually.
According to the petition, the suicide rate is 12 per 100,000 population, marking the highest rate of suicide-related deaths since 1967.
The petitioner’s plea highlighted that the World Health Organization (WHO) report identifies suicide as a pressing and significant public health concern in India.
The petitioner further asserted that suicides in 2021 witnessed a 7.2% increase compared to previous years, with India recording the highest number of such fatalities globally.
The petitioner expressed his disappointment over the lack of provisions or mechanisms to address this issue and sought the court’s intervention.
Justice Kant observed that there is no room for misplaced sympathy for any individual and presenting only one side of the issue is unacceptable. The Court asked the petitioner if he can provide data on the number of women who die within first 3 years of marriage each year in the nation. The bench said that nobody thinks of committing suicide, and that it depends on the specific circumstance of each case.
The court stated that if a husband is subjected to harassment by his spouse, or it results in suicide, the victim and his family members can file a lawsuit against the wife. The Court clarified that male victims of domestic violence are not left without remedies, as sufficient legislative measures are in place to tackle such cases.
The counsel representing the petitioner argued that in the case of Vishakha V. State of Rajasthan, the Court had established guidelines that led to subsequent legislation. The Court responded by saying that it intervenes only when it finds that the issues raised are justifiable and questioned the justifiability of the present issue.
The Court made it clear that the petitioner’s expectation that the court would conclude that these husbands have taken their lives due to harassment by their wives was not right.
The division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta expressed their disinterest in hearing the plea, and the petitioner subsequently withdrew the petition. However, he was granted the freedom to proceed with the matter by submitting a representation to the Union government.
References:
- Deccan Herald, https://www.deccanherald.com/national/suicide-by-married-men-sc-refuses-to-entertain-pil-for-setting-up-of-national-commission-for-men-1233487.html, accessed 4 July, 2023.
- Live Law, https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-dismisses-pil-seeking-national-commission-for-men-to-deal-with-increasing-suicide-rate-among-married-men-231743, accessed 4 July, 2023.
- Economic Times, https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/suicide-by-married-men-sc-refuses-to-entertain-pil-for-setting-up-of-national-commission-for-men/articleshow/101454392.cms, accessed 4 July, 2023.
By: Saatvik, BBA LL.B. (Hons.). upcoming law student at Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, GGSIPU, Delhi, an intern under Legal Vidhiya.
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