False cases don’t start with guilt — they start with blind trust. In India, believing “it won’t happen to me” is how innocent men lose everything.
False 498A Cases & PoSH Misuse in India: Every man begins with a lie he tells himself:
“It won’t happen to me.”
He watches other men dragged into false 498A cases, hears of fabricated rape or molestation complaints, or sees careers destroyed under PoSH — and comforts himself with the thought:
“I respect women. I’ll never face this.”
That blind faith is exactly what the system feeds on.
The “It Can’t Be Me” Illusion
In India today, your innocence doesn’t matter — your gender does.
- One accusation.
- One viral clip.
- One emotional story.
And you are finished before a trial even begins.
- The law presumes guilt.
- The media amplifies it.
- Society enjoys the spectacle.
Justice becomes secondary.
The Rohtak Sisters Case — Trial by Media
Remember the Rohtak Sisters case?
A viral video showed two girls thrashing men on a bus, claiming molestation. Overnight, the country crowned them heroes. The accused boys were instantly branded predators — suspended from the army, shamed on national television, and socially ostracized.
- Later, CCTV footage and witness testimonies exposed the truth — there was no molestation.
- Did the girls face consequences?
No. - Did the boys get their dignity back?
Never. - This is what happens when emotion replaces evidence.
Sarabjeet Singh — The “Delhi ka Darinda” Who Wasn’t
- Then came Sarabjeet Singh.
- After a woman accused him of molestation in public, news channels instantly labelled him “Delhi ka Darinda.” Within hours, he was beaten, arrested, and paraded by the media as a symbol of “women’s safety.”
- Days later, CCTV footage revealed the truth — the allegation was fabricated.
- His name was cleared.
- His life was not.
- No channel apologized.
- No headline was corrected.
- That is the real cost of a false allegation: Instant fame for the accuser. Permanent damage for the accused.
Molestation Laws — Guilty Until Proven Male
- Section 354 IPC can be triggered without evidence, without witnesses, sometimes even without your presence.
- A single statement — “He touched me” — and the machinery activates.
- The man must prove a negative, while the world celebrates the “survivor.”
- Justice has become a performance.
- And men are the props.
PoSH — When Protection Turns Into a Weapon
- The PoSH Act was created to ensure safe workplaces.
- Today, it is often misused to settle scores, block promotions, or punish rejection.
- One anonymous complaint can end a man’s career.
- Even when cleared, the damage remains — whispers, rumours, and permanent suspicion.
- PoSH was meant to protect women from fear.
- It has now made men live in it.
False Rape Cases — The Ultimate Betrayal
- Across India, courts quietly acquit men after years of false rape litigation.
- Cases where relationships turn sour.
- Where consent is retroactively labelled “rape.”
- Where families misuse the law for revenge or extortion.
- These acquittals never make prime time.
- Because truth doesn’t sell.
- Pain doesn’t trend.
- And an innocent man is no longer “newsworthy.”
The Collateral Damage No One Talks About
- Behind every false case is a family destroyed.
- Elderly parents humiliated.
- Sisters traumatised.
- Children alienated.
- Their suffering doesn’t count — because society only acknowledges one version of pain.
- And when men finally break down, the same system calls them weak.
Knowledge Is the New Masculinity
- Real strength today isn’t physical.
- It’s awareness.
- Know the laws: 498A, 354, 376, DV Act, PoSH, maintenance laws.
- Document interactions.
- Communicate in writing.
- Maintain dignity — but keep records.
- Don’t let politeness become vulnerability.
- You insure your car.
- You insure your house.
- You insure your phone.
- So why not your freedom?
Wake Up — Before It’s You
- Every man who once said, “My partner would never do this,” eventually calls me with a trembling voice and says: “Sir, I can’t believe this happened.”
- Believe it.
- Because it is happening every single day.
- The only men who survive are the ones who prepared — legally, emotionally, and mentally.
- So remember:
- It’s not paranoia if it’s the truth.
- Stop saying “It won’t happen to me.”
- Because that’s what every man says — until it does.
Explanatory Table: Laws & Sections Referenced
| Law / Section | Full Name | Purpose of the Law | Ground Reality / Misuse Highlighted |
| IPC Section 498A | Cruelty by Husband or Relatives | To protect married women from dowry harassment and cruelty | Frequently misused to implicate entire families without investigation; arrests happen before verification |
| IPC Section 354 | Assault or Criminal Force to Woman with Intent to Outrage Modesty | To penalize molestation and protect women’s dignity | Can be invoked solely on verbal allegation; often treated as guilty-until-proven-innocent for men |
| IPC Section 376 | Rape | To punish sexual assault | Misused in failed relationships by converting consensual acts into rape allegations |
| Domestic Violence Act, 2005 | Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act | To provide civil remedies for domestic abuse | Used as a pressure tactic for maintenance, residence orders, and coercive settlements |
| PoSH Act, 2013 | Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act | To ensure safe workplaces for women | Anonymous or unverified complaints ruin careers; reputational damage remains even after acquittal |
| Maintenance Laws (CrPC 125 / HMA) | Maintenance to Wife | To prevent destitution of spouse | Often enforced without considering false cases or wife’s earning capacity |


2 Comments
India’s women-protection laws were necessary but are frequently misused due to one-sided drafting and weak safeguards. Provisions like 498A, DV Act, and gender-specific rape laws allow arrests, penalties, and social damage without prior investigation. The real failure is no accountability or punishment for false cases, turning the legal process itself into punishment. Protection is essential—but justice without balance becomes injustice.
Men are often targeted through blanket accusations, with entire families implicated, immediate arrests made, and reputations destroyed before guilt is proven. The justice system assumes male guilt and female victimhood, which encourages misuse as a pressure tactic. Proper justice requires gender-neutral laws, mandatory preliminary investigation, non-automatic arrests, fast-track trials, and strict penalties for proven false complaints—otherwise the law remains a weapon, not protection.
Well said.
Protection without safeguards becomes punishment. The Supreme Court itself has flagged misuse of 498A and mandated checks against automatic arrests (Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar).
Laws like 498A and PoSH must operate with due process, preliminary scrutiny, and accountability for false complaints – otherwise they violate Articles 14 and 21.
Justice must be balanced, evidence-based, and gender-neutral, not assumption-driven.