Demand to remove observation of HC judge on women misusing laws

Demand to prevent the judge from hearing cases pertaining to Christian institutions and women have also been raised.

On Wednesday, a group of women advocates led by senior counsel R Vaigai made a mention before Justice Vaidyanathan in his court seeking to remove the portion wherein he had referred to alleged instances of misuse of the anti-dowry law and wondered, whether those laws are invoked by women with genuine reasons.

“Certain laws, which are in existence for easy access to women, lend itself to easy misuse that the women will find it hard to resist the temptation to ‘teach a lesson’ to male members and will file frivolous false cases,” Justice Vaidyanathan had held.

Also, noting that the Supreme Court on realising the gross misuse of anti-dowry law (498-A), had termed such acts as “Legal Terrorism”, Justice Vaidyanathan in his order said, “This is the right time for the government to think of suitable amendment in those laws in order to prevent its misuse so as to safeguard the interest of the innocent masculinity too.”

However, following the mention, Justice Vaidyanathan agreed to hear the Senior Counsel on deleting the said portion on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Vaigai also handed over a petition signed by as many as 64 advocates to Chief Justice V K Tahilramani seeking to direct the registry to abstain from listing cases relating to Christian organisations and women before the Justice Vaidyanathan.

The observation against Christian institutions was made by Justice Vaidyanathan while refusing to quash the second show cause notice issued to a Madras Christian college (MCC) faculty member Samuel Tennyson facing sexual harassment charges from at least 34 girl students doing their third year Zoology course.