NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court for setting up ‘National Commission for Men’ and laying down guidelines to deal with suicide by married males suffering from domestic violence.

Advocate Mahesh Kumar Tiwari, who filed the PIL, relied upon the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data published in 2021 on accidental deaths in India.

The data pointed out that 1,64,033 people died by suicide across the country in 2021.

Out of these, 81,063 people, who ended their lives, were married men, while 28,680 were married women, the petition said.

“Around 33.2% men ended their lives because of family problems and 4.8% due to marriage related issues in the year 2021. In this year total 1,18,979 men have committed suicides which are about (72%) and total 45,026 women have committed suicides which are about 27%,” the plea said, citing the data provided by the NCRB.

The petition has also sought direction to the National Human Rights Commission to deal with the issue of suicide by married men and accept the complaints of men suffering domestic violence.

It also sought a direction to the Union government to issue proper guidelines through the Ministry of Home Affairs to the police authority/ Station House Officer of every Police Station to accept/ receive the complaint of victims of domestic violence or those are under stress due to family problems and marriage related issues and refer the same to the State Human Right Commission for its proper disposal, till the proper legislation is enacted by the Government of India.

The plea also said the Law Commission of India may be issued a direction to carry out research on the issue of suicides of married men who are suffering from domestic violence or under family problem and marriage related issues and make necessary report in order to constitute a forum like National Commission for Men.