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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Article in Sakal Times- FIGHTING SPIRIT - 56-year-old joins law school


To Fight cases to save men and families troubled by scheming wives
Mumbai:


While other men of his age eagerly anticipate the retirement years or enjoy the company of their families, Mohanlal Gupta (56) pores over piles of heavy law books. The former IITian is not studying to add to his skills, but out of a humane necessity to save men and families troubled by scheming wives.

“I am the oldest student in the Siddharth Law College, even older than the principal by 15 days,” laughs Gupta, who spearheads the Mumbai chapter of the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), which has been helping men who are at the receiving end of the deadly Section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) since 2005.

However, Gupta’s merriment disappears when he explains, why he gave up his booming consultancy practice and took up studying law.

“My only son was, and continues to be a victim of the extortionist element ingrained in Section 498 (A),” he says. “His wife left him after just three months of marriage, then demanded monthly maintenance from him. We paid her for 15 months till my son finished his studies then he filed for divorce. When she realised that he would not meet any more demands, she alleged harassment,” he added. The Section 498 (A) deals with ‘husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty’. The case is still on at Mulund court, and Gupta vows that once his studies are over, he will fight his son’s case and put the woman behind bars.

“There are scores of men out there, all like my son, who have horrific tales to tell. When I heard their stories, I decided to fight such cases free of cost once I became a lawyer,” he says. The SIFF members in Mumbai are also part of the Protect Indian Family Foundation (PIFF), which operates three helplines in Mumbai.

There are over 5,000 active SIFF members in the country today, with over 175 in Mumbai.
“We are handling 100 new calls per month and will start more helplines to serve every needy person,” says Gupta.

Apart from PIFF taking a rally to Bandra Family court in June, the movement is set to hit TV screens as well. “We are registered with Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPA) and are working on a tele-serial dealing with husbands’ harassment by misusing the laws,” Gupta says.
Gupta can be contacted on 09869323538 and another SIFF member, P R Gokul, on 09821414336. Nationwide helpline numbers are available on www.saveindianfamily.org.
EMAIL
bureaus@sakaaltimes.com
URL
http://www.saveindianfamily.org

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