At a press meet on Tuesday, the researchers described domestic violence as ``painful, invisible and prevalent throughout the world''. ``The response to domestic violence when it reaches the public arena is interesting. All cases in the first seven years of marriage have to be registered under Section 498 (A) of the IPC, which relates the problem to dowry even if that is not the case.

This leads to all domestic abuse being labelled as `torture fordowry'. In fact, most women complain that they were beaten up by their husbands for food not cooked to their taste.''

Another startling discovery of the research was that most victims of violence at home are elderly women and not the newly-weds. Said Dr Veena Poonacha, lecturer at the Centre of Research on Women, SNDT University, ``There is no law in the country that protects women of this age group against domestic violence. Section 498 (A) is not applicable to them. The police too are insensitive and more often than not they ask the woman to settle the dispute at home.'' Years ago, a city police commissioner had even asked police stations not to register cases where the woman had no bleeding injuries, said the participants.

``We had a case where a woman came to the police station complaining that she had been beaten up by her husband, but the police were unmoved since there were no visible bruises,'' says Dr Ranjana Kumari, a member of the National Advisory Committee, adding, ``It was later found thather private parts had been slashed by a knife. It is therefore imperative that the police and even doctors are sensitised to handle such cases.''

The researchers informed that a draft bill to formulate a law on domestic violence has been lying with the Union Government since 1994. Among other things, the draft bill seeks a joint right to the matrimonial home for the woman to prevent her from being thrown out by her husband and stresses that the man should get out if he has a problem.