MYSURU: In a significant development, cases of domestic violence against women have risen sharply across the state over the past three years.
According to the latest data from the Karnataka State Commission for Women accessed by TNIE, the commission received a total of 2,179 complaints in 2023-24, 2,907 in 2024-25 and 4,482 complaints in 2025-26 (till January 2026).
Among them, 434 are domestic violence complaints in 2023-24. This number increased to 458 in 2024-25 and surged to 668 in 2025-26 (April 2025 to January 2026). The commission, which acts as a bridge between victims, the police and legal services, resolved 434 cases in 2023-24, 450 cases in 2024-25 (with eight still pending), and 472 cases in 2025-26.
Apart from domestic violence, the commission has been flooded with complaints related to protection of women, dowry harassment, workplace harassment, police harassment and sexual harassment. Acting as an investigative and mediatory body, it monitors police probes, conducts public hearings and facilitates dispute resolution.
Data shows that complaints seeking protection rose from 586 in 2023-24 to 943 in 2024-25, and further to 1,289 in 2025-26. Cases of sexual harassment stood at 26, 29 and 30 respectively over the three years. Complaints under sexual harassment of women at the workplace increased from 95 in 2023-24 to 131 in 2024-25, before slightly dipping to 123 in 2025-26. Meanwhile, “love-related” cases also rose from 29 to 45 and then to 62 during the same period.
An official from the Department of Women and Child Development said under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Deputy Commissioners in all districts are required to reconstitute committees every three years. These committees must hear workplace harassment complaints and dispose of cases within 90 days.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chaudhary said domestic violence cases are more frequently reported in rural areas than in urban regions. She noted that earlier, women often refrained from reporting abuse due to social pressures to preserve family honour and harmony. “Today, women are more educated and financially independent. With greater awareness of legal rights, they are increasingly coming forward to file complaints,” she added.
Chaudhary added that during her visits to rural areas, she observed liquor being sold in petty shops, which she believes is contributing to the rise in domestic violence. “Men under the influence of alcohol often resort to violence against their mothers and wives,” she said and added that she will appeal to the state government to include a chapter in school syllabus to prevent crime against women.