Expressing shock over the horrific video of a woman thrashing her elderly mother-in-law in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district, the women activists on Tuesday demanded that a law should be made to protect the old and sick in this country.
Advocate and women rights activist Abha Singh said it is necessary to amendment Section 498 A as it protects only the daughter-in-law.
"I think the time has come where the Parliament needs to sit down and make a law which would protect the old and sick in this country. What is necessary is amendment in 498 A because it only protects the daughter-in-law. Of late, the cases against senior citizens is increasing, they are being beaten, tortured by their own children. A separate law needs to be made which will protect the aged and the old people," Singh said.
"It is a very shocking and a very saddening video that has gone viral that a daughter-in-law is beating up her mother-in-law, who is old and sick, in such a brutal manner," she added.
Former National Commission for Women (NCW) member Shamina Shafiq said it is a crazy scenario, adding that law is made to protect women not to misuse them.
"I feel ashamed that a woman is brutalising another woman. I think women should understand that law has been made to give them that extra support and to help them but that doesn't mean that it should be misused. I think we should look at the matter from a larger aspect. We should introspect where the society is heading to," Shafiq said
She insisted that these incidents need to be taken very seriously.
Former NCW chief Mamata Sharma echoed similar statements, saying that women should not misuse the laws which are made to protect them.
The incident took place in Bijnor district where a 70-year-old lady was thrashed, beaten up and strangled by her daughter-in-law. The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV camera by her husband, who had warned his wife for her behaviour several times earlier.
The accused Sangeeta Jain has been arrested after a case under Section 307 of the IPC was filed against her.
