The Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005  - Section 2

Word 'respondent' - Interpretation of - "Females" not included in the definition of "respondent" in Section 2(q) of the Act of 2005 - Trial Court holding that female members cannot be made parties in proceedings under the Act of 2005 - Order confirmed by Ld. Single Judge relating to deletion of the names of `other members' - Appeal against - No restrictive meaning has been given to the expression "relative", nor has the said expression been specifically defined in the Act of 2005 to make it specific to males only - If the legislature intended to exclude females from the ambit of the complaint, which can be filed by an aggrieved wife, females would have been specifically excluded, instead of it being provided in the proviso that a complaint could also be filed against a relative of the husband or the male partner -Impugned orders of the lower Courts set aside - Directions issued to proceed against the Respondents.

Topic(s)-

Important Decision(s)-Word 'Respondent' used in the Domestic Violence Act 2005 includes the females also.