Indian Judge To Battered Wife: ‘Why Are You Still Talking About His Beatings?’

A judge in India has been banned from presiding over marital cases, including custody cases, after he made a series of controversial statements, including suggesting that a man may beat his wife, as long as he takes good care of her.

The judge in Bangalore made the controversial comments during a domestic violence case. A 28-year-old woman claimed to the court that her husband beat her up regularly and even threw her out of the house once, reports The Daily Mail.

Justice Bhaktavatsala responded that all women suffer in marriage, and she just needed to adjust to her husband. he added:

“Your husband is doing good business. He will take care of you. Why are you still talking about his beatings?”

The judge made other controversial comments as well, including telling an unmarried female lawyer that, “Family matters should be argued only by married people, not spinsters.” he added that the lawyer should get married, in order to argue similar cases.

The judge’s comments have been criticized both by the legal community and the Karnataka State Commission for Women. The chairman of the commission added that someone in such a high position should not be making comments like that. Manjula C stated:

“There are laws to protect woman and her rights and if people like him are telling husband beats wife is ok, then who are to protect woman.”

According to The Hindu, Justice Bhaktavatsala rapped the media for “misinterpreting” his observations. He added that:

“I have not permitted to beat wife. I never approved such kind of things… In the interest of protecting family, marriages I put forth my efforts… I asked couples to forget their past and live their life peacefully… But reports are otherwise… While hearing family matters we try to conciliate between parties. The papers have taken in a different perspective.”

While the judge may have been thinking he was helping the marriages, the media, plaintiffs, and even the legal community, have disagreed with his comments.