Andhra Pradesh recorded more than 9,600 cases of domestic violence, the highest in the country, during 2007-2010, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Experts attribute this high number of recorded cases to greater awareness among the populace, better mechanism to register complaints and the fact that Hyderabad is an IT hub, the city becomes the jurisdiction for cases of domestic violence filed mostly by women from this background.
Advocate Anita Salabh Jain points out that one of the main reasons for registration of such huge number of cases is because of the fact that Hyderabad is one of the largest information technology hubs of India and hundreds of these cases are filed by women from the IT sector.
“Even if they hail from different parts of the country, but are residing in Hyderabad, the city becomes their jurisdiction to file such cases. By filing the complaint the woman can claim shelter, police protection against her husband and in-laws, share in property and maintenance. Such cases are not filed directly in the police station, but the woman first approaches the Andhra Pradesh government’s women development and child welfare department,” she said.
Deputy commissioner of police, (south zone), Dr Akun Sabharwal said, “The number is high in the state because of greater awareness and education regarding the law and rights that prompts even lower middle class women to report any physical abuse by her husband or in-laws. Moreover, through the women welfare departments, it’s easier to register complaints and bring the cases to the notice of the police. This mechanism has also seen more cases being reported as compared to other states,” said the DCP.