Optional Grouping: Help & Support

Help and Support

You can reach out to the National Legal Services Authority to lodge a complaint here. You can lodge a grievance and track your application.

 

You can email or call the state-wise authorities (Legal Service Authorities) given below in case of a grievance, or if you need help and support. 

State Helpline Number/Contact Number Email Address Postal Address 
Delhi 1516 dslsa-phc@nic.in, 

dlsathebest@rediffmail.com

 Delhi State Legal Services Authority,

Central Office, Pre – Fab Building,

Patiala House Courts, New Delhi.
Haryana 18001802057 http://www.hslsa.gov.in/helpline Haryana State Legal Services Authority,

Institutional Plot No.09,Sector-14 Panchkula (Near Kisan Bhawan)
Kerala +91 9846 700 100 kelsakerala@gmail.com Member Secretary,

Office of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority,

Niyama Sahaya Bhavan,

High Court Compound

Ernakulam, Kochi,

Kerala State
Himachal Pradesh +91 94180 33385

15100 (toll-free)

Nyaya Sanyog: 0177-2629862

 mslegal-hp@nic.in The Member Secretary, HP State Legal Services Authority, Block No. 22, S.D.A. Complex, Kasumpti, Shimla
Maharashtra 1800 22 23 24 mslsa-bhc@nic.in 105, High court (PWD) Building, Fort, Mumba.
Gujarat 18002337966  msguj.lsa@nic.in 3rd Floor, Near Gujarat High Court Post Office,

Gujarat High Court Campus,

Sola, Ahmedabad
Madhya Pradesh 15100 mplsajab@nic.in
Assam  0361-2601843, 2516367 mailto:assamslsa1@gmail.com Assam State Legal Services Authority, Adjacent to Gauhati High Court New Block
Orissa 0671-2307071 oslsa@nic.in Odisha State Legal Services Authority,

S.O.20,

Cantonment Road (Gopabandhu Marg), Cuttack
Tamil Nadu 1516 tnslsa.lae@gmail.com Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority,

North Fort Road, High Court Campus,

Chennai 
Karnataka 1800-425-90900 Karslsa@gmail.com Karnataka State Legal Services Authority,

Nyaya Degula Building, 1st Floor, H.Siddaiah Road,

Bengaluru

Further, if you do not find your lawyer suitable for your needs and want a different one, you can request this. Read more here. 

What are the Rights and Remedies for Victims against Domestic Violence?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

Victims of domestic violence have certain rights under the domestic law as well as  remedies to protect themselves and their children. The Protection Officer, or a service provider, has a duty to inform you of these rights and remedies.

Rights under the law

You have a right to:

Remedies under the law

In addition to the rights that you have, you can also avail certain remedies from the Court. You can:

Receive monetary compensation for physical injuries, loss of property, etc.

Appeal

If you are not satisfied with the decision given by the relevant Legal Service Authority on your application for a grant of legal aid, there is a provision to appeal against the decision. 

To appeal, you can appeal to the Executive Chairman or Chairman of the relevant Legal Services Authority((  Regulation 7(5), National Legal Services Authority (Free and Competent Legal Services) Regulations 2010.)). The decision resulting from the appeal would be a final one.

Who can seek Protection against Domestic Violence?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

Any woman can file a complaint and seek protection against domestic violence under the law, for herself and her child/children. The religion of the woman does not matter(( Mr. Ali Abbas Daruwala vs. Mrs. Shehnaz Daruwal  2018 (3) RCR (Criminal) 106.)) i.e. any woman, regardless of her religion or caste, can file a complaint against domestic violence.

Please keep in mind that if you decide to go to Court, you need to make sure that you had a domestic relationship and a shared household with the harasser. You can complain and seek protection in the following circumstances:

If you are married

If you are married, and are facing domestic violence from your husband or in-laws, you can file a complaint against them.

If you are divorced

If you are divorced, then depending on the facts of the case, you may or may not be granted protection and relief. Some situations are:

  • If you face violence before the divorce, you can file a complaint, as you had a domestic relationship with your husband/in-laws at the time the violence took place.(( Juveria Abdul Majid Patni v. Atif Iqbal Mansoori (2014) 10 SCC 736.))
  • If you face violence after the divorce, you will have to prove that a domestic relationship was existing between you and the harasser at the time when the domestic violence took place. In some cases, even if you cannot prove the domestic relationship, the Court may hear you out. For example, if you and your husband continued to take care of your child together after getting divorced,  and you faced harassment in the course of that.
  • If you have initiated divorce proceedings at some point, but did not end up getting divorced, you can file a complaint if you face any domestic violence.(( Prakash Nagardas Dubal-Shaha v. Meena Prakash Dubal Shah (2016) 13 SCC 277.))

If you have deserted your husband

If you have left your husband because he was subjecting you to domestic violence, by beating you, verbally abusing  you, etc., you can file a complaint against him for domestic violence. If you have left your husband for any other reason, then you cannot file a case. For example, if you left your husband because you wanted to live with another man, or because you wanted to live alone, then you cannot file a complaint under this law.(( Sejal Dharmesh Ved v. The State of Maharashtra and Ors. 2014 ALL MR (Cri) 636.))

If you are judicially separated

If you are judicially separated from your husband and you have faced domestic violence from him or your in-laws either before or after the separation order, you can file a complaint against the harassers.(( Krishna Bhatacharjee v. Sarathi Choudhury (2016) 2 SCC 705.))

If you are in a live-in relationship: 

If you are in a live-in relationship, you can file a complaint against your partner if you face domestic violence.(( Velusamy v. D. Patchaiammal (2010) 10 SCC 469.)) In some cases, you can also file a complaint if you are now separated but faced violence when you were still with your partner.(( Reshma Begum v. State of Maharashtra & Anr. 2018 SCC OnLine Bom 1827.))

If you are a widow

If you continue to live with your in-laws after the death of your husband, it is viewed as a domestic relationship, as your relationship with your in-laws does not come to an end with the death of your husband. In such a case, if you face domestic violence, you can file a complaint against your in-laws.(( Jitendrabhai Bhikhabhai Bhambaniya  v. State of Gujarat, Criminal Revision Application/271/2016, Gujarat High Court.)) For example, if you are a widow who is being harassed by her mother-in-law, you can file a complaint against her.

Some states provide handbooks for ASHA workers where you can find more information on forms on violence and how to file a complaint to seek protection against domestic violence. For example, see this handbook published for ASHA in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Denial/Withdrawal of Legal Aid Services

After you fill out your application for legal aid, it can be denied or accepted. It can also be withdrawn at a later stage after the application has been accepted and legal aid has been provided.

 

Denying Legal Aid

Legal aid can be denied1:

 

Withdrawing Legal Aid

Legal aid can be withdrawn in the following circumstances1:

  • Where the person who applied under the income category is found to possess sufficient means to pay for legal services required.
  • Where the person obtained legal services by misrepresentation or fraud.
  • Where the person does not cooperate with the Legal Services Authority/Committee or with the legal services lawyer. 
  • Where the person engages a legal practitioner, like a lawyer, other than the one assigned by the Legal Services Authority/Committee. 
  • Where the person has died, except in the case of civil proceedings where the right/liability is still present
  • Where the application for legal service or the matter in question is found to be an abuse of the process of law or of legal services.
  1. FAQs, National Legal Service Authority, https://nalsa.gov.in/faqs. [↩] [↩]

What are the Domestic Violence Helplines?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

You can also reach out to certain helplines that will help you file a complaint, locate the relevant Protection Officer, and provide additional help and support. The relevant governmental helplines are listed below.

Violence and Crimes

Police

If you are facing violence, you can call 100 to seek immediate help from the police. After describing your location, a police unit will be sent to you for further assistance.

National Commission for Women, Police Helpline: 

If you are facing violence, you can call and complain about it. These are the steps you should take:

Step 1: Call 1091

Step 2: Describe the crime in detail

Step 3: Give your location and contact number

The police will then be sent to your location to assist you and stop the harasser.

Missing Persons and Kidnapping

Missing Women and Children

This helpline helps track missing persons. You can take the following steps:

Step 1: Call 1094. 

Step 2: Provide them with the contact number of the missing person.

Step 3: A phone number search is done on ZIPNET (Zonal Integrated Police Network) where they will trace the location of the missing person and contact the police.

Step 4: If they cannot locate the missing person, they will reach out to the police station to continue the search on the ground level.

Some states provide handbooks for ASHA workers where you can find more information on forms on violence, where it can happen and how to file a complaint to seek protection against domestic violence. For example, see this handbook published for ASHA in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Receiving Legal Aid After Application

Once you have submitted your application for free legal aid, the following happens1:

Step 1: Your application will be scrutinized by the relevant Legal Services Authority to determine what is to be done.

 

Step 2: Once the scrutiny of the application is complete, information about whether your application has been accepted/rejected will be provided to you in the following ways:

  • If the application was made in person/ physically at any Legal Services Authority: An address (either residential address or email address) for correspondence is noted and information regarding the application is sent to the same.
  • If the application is made online via the NALSA website or the online portals of the Legal Services Authorities: An application number is generated, and you can track the status of the application on the online portal itself. 

 

The decision on the acceptance/rejection of the application is to be decided immediately and not more than 7 days from the date of the receipt of the application. 

 

Step 3: Once the application is accepted, you will be given information on the assignment of the lawyer. The assigned lawyer and you will be given a letter of appointment (vakalatnama) along, and the lawyer is required to contact you immediately, or you can initiate the contact. 

 

  1.  FAQs, National Legal Service Authority, https://nalsa.gov.in/faqs; 

    Procedure After Filing, Legal Services Management System, National Legal Service Authority, https://nalsa.gov.in/lsams/nologin/procedureAfterFiling.action. [↩]

How can you Get Help and Support against Domestic Violence?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

While filing a domestic violence complaint, you might need additional support and help, which you can access by approaching the authorities listed below.

Support and Assistance

Protection Officer

You can also approach the Protection Officer of your district, who provide you with support, by helping you obtain free legal aid, make a shelter home available to you, if required, direct you to appropriate service providers, etc.

NGOs,Civil Society Organizations, Service Providers 

You can approach NGOs, civil society organizations or service providers to help you and provide you with support, such as providing legal aid, making you aware of your rights, getting you in touch with the concerned Protection Officer, etc. Depending on the organization, they may even provide you with shelter, employment opportunities and vocational training, counselling, etc. These services will likely be free of cost, depending on the type of organization you have approached.

Service providers also have the power to record a Domestic Incident Report themselves and forward it to the concerned Court or Protection Officer. They can also help you get a medical checkup, especially if you are injured and forward the medical report to the concerned Protection Officer or police station.

Some states provide handbooks for ASHA workers where you can find more information on forms on violence, where it can happen and how to file a complaint to seek protection against domestic violence. For example, see this handbook published for ASHA in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Legal Assistance

Getting a Lawyer

You have the option of approaching a lawyer to help you navigate from the complaint stage to helping you go to Court.  If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can approach the District Legal Service Authority in your district for free legal aid. See here to understand the procedure for applying for free legal aid. If you are unsure as to how to find it, you can ask for help from the Protection Officer, NGOs, service providers, etc.

How can you get Immediate Protection for Domestic Violence?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

To seek immediate protection from domestic violence, you should file an application with the Court with the help of a Protection Officer or a lawyer. The Court will pass a protection order to give you and your child/children protection from the harasser. The order passed by the Court will be temporary, but for a fixed duration(( Section 25, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)) until the Court feels that such an order is not required due to a change in circumstances. You can take the help of your lawyer to extend the duration of the order, if you require it. The protection order will help you(( Section 18, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)):

Stop Acts of Domestic Violence

The harasser will be ordered not to:

  • Commit or help in committing any form of domestic violence.
  • Commit violence against friends, relatives or any person who is supporting you through the violence.

Prevent any Disturbance or Harassment 

The harasser will be ordered not to:

  • Disturb/harass you at any place including your place of work or residence.
  • Disturb your child/children at school or any other place where they visit.(( Form IV, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.))
  • Contact you either personally or through email, telephone, online, etc.

Protect your Finances and Property

The harasser will be ordered not to:

  • Sell or give away your assets, wedding gifts, stridhan, etc. without your consent.
  • Operate any single/joint bank accounts or access single/joint bank lockers without your consent and without letting the Court know.

Regulate the Harasser’s Behaviour

The harasser will be ordered not to:

  • Use any firearms, weapons or other dangerous substances that can be used to hurt you. The harasser may be asked to surrender it directly to the Court.(( Form IV, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.))
  • Consume any alcohol, drugs or similar substances that can intoxicate, which leads to  domestic violence.(( Form IV, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.))

If the harasser is still disturbing you after the order, you(( Section 32(2), The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)) can make your lawyer inform the Court. The Court will punish the harasser with jail time of one year or a fine of Rs. 20,000.

Some states provide handbooks for ASHA workers where you can find more information on forms on violence, where it can happen and how to file a complaint to seek protection against domestic violence. For example, see this handbook published for ASHA in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

What are Medical Facilities and Shelter Homes?

[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing.]

Medical Facilities

If you have been subjected to domestic violence, it is your right to receive medical assistance. You can approach the Protection Officer of your district or any service provider working within the ambit of women’s rights, and they will help you, as well as any child, obtain medical assistance. The medical report will be forwarded to the relevant police station and Court.

Role of a Medical Facility: 

  • Providing medical assistance to a victim of domestic violence. No medical facility can deny service to such a person.
  • File a DIR and forward it to the relevant Protection Officer, if one has not been filed already.
  • Supply the victim with a free copy of the medical report.

Shelter Home

Shelter homes are homes set up by the State Government to provide a safe space for women to stay in. Any woman who has suffered from any kind of violence including rape, sexual crimes, domestic violence, etc. can stay in a shelter home(( Section 6, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)). If you are unable to go back to your house because the harasser(s) who harmed you is/are still living there, then the Protection Officer or service provider may ask you to go to a shelter home. If you want to find a shelter home, you can approach a Protection Officer who would maintain records of the shelter home in his or her district(( Section 11(3) and 11(4), The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)).

Even if you have not filed a DIR, with the help of a Protection Officer, you can ask for accommodation in a Government-run shelter home, and the shelter home cannot refuse shelter to you  merely because you have not lodged a DIR. If you desire, the shelter home will not disclose your identity to the harasser(( Section 16(1),(2),(3), The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.)).

Some states provide handbooks for ASHA workers where you can find more information on forms on violence, where it can happen and how to file a complaint to seek protection against domestic violence. For example, see this handbook published for ASHA in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.