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A Supreme Court bench of Justices U.U.Lalit and Ravindra Bhat issued notice to the Union, Ministry of Women and Child Welfare and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking enforcement of 'network assistance' to victims of domestic violence. 

When the matter came up, the bench informed Shobha Gupta, Advocate for the Petitioner, that they were not inclined to issue notice to the States as it will delay the hearing. Shobha Gupta then sought the court to direct the Union and Ministries to file a status report on the implementation of network assistance, the court then informed her that the affidavit that the Union and the Ministries file maybe a status report.

The court Issued notice to the Union and the Ministries alone, returnable on 29.11.2021, while noting that the rest of the respondents need not be issued notice. The court also directed the parties to file an affidavit by the 6th of December 2021.

The writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution was filed by an NGO called 'We the Women of India' seeking plugging of gaps in the DV Act, 2006. The petition seeks for providing effective legal aid to women abused at the matrimonial homes and creating shelter homes for the women after they lodge a complaint against their husband and in-laws. 

The petition highlights that despite the act having come to force in 2005, domestic violence is yet to come down. 

Case title: We the Women of India Vs Union of India