Pune: Domestic violence, divorce and other complaints have swamped the family court post-lockdown. The family court administration and lawyers have noticed a surge in the number of cases filed after June 15 when the unlock phase was implemented.
Lockdown proved to be a boon for some and bane for others. Conversation between husband, wife, in-laws increased which had its good and bad effects. While some couples who already had trouble brewing pre-lockdown had to adjust to the situation. With more time to spend with each other, some couples got to understand each other better while others waited for the courts to re-start functioning. Liquor shops were closed for more than one month but when they reopened, domestic violence too increased. As a result, after relaxations were given in lockdown and family courts saw a surge in applications and cases being filed.
Adv Vaishali Chandane, President of the Family Court Lawyers Association said, "During the lockdown, the interaction between family members increased a lot. Some households, however, did not have such a situation. Disputes between couples increased, especially after liquor shops reopened and it was easily available. Demands of husband, other male members of the family increased which has increased stress and workload on housewives."
Now, with Pune city going through another 10-day strict lockdown, it remains to be seen whether another wave of domestic violence cases is reported in family courts after a month.
What are the reasons?
Family Court Cases
January to June-end 2020
Edited by:
Khevna Pandit