BENGALURU: Complaints related to domestic violence, harassment and marital disputes reported by women to Vanitha Sahayavani, a counselling initiative of the Bengaluru City Police, rose sharply in 2025, according to official data.
The number of complaints increased from an average of 275 cases per month in 2024 to nearly 400 cases per month in 2025. Overall, the centres handled about 3,300 cases in 2024, compared to over 4,348 cases in 2025.
Officials said the rise reflects changing responses to marital distress rather than a proportional increase in domestic conflict. In 2025, complaints related to marital maladjustment with spouses emerged as the largest category, with 1,266 cases, marginally higher than physical and mental domestic violence complaints, which stood at 1,248 cases.
Court referrals, including divorce and maintenance proceedings, also increased, while reconciliation accounted for a smaller share of outcomes compared to the previous year.
Dr Bindya Yohannan, Joint Secretary in charge of Parihar, the parent wing of Vanitha Sahayavani, cautioned against interpreting the figures as representative of society at large. “These numbers reflect reporting behaviour among women who approach police-linked counselling centres, not the overall prevalence of marital distress,” she said.
She attributed the rise in complaints partly to greater financial independence and family support among women. “Reduced economic dependence on spouses appears to be lowering tolerance for prolonged marital distress,” she said.
A significant proportion of complainants come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, where women may face less pressure to continue marriages at any cost, she added. A private family counsellor noted that factors such as wedding expenses, family expectations and close social networks often influence women’s willingness to seek police intervention.
Taken together, the data suggests a shift in how women respond to marital conflict, with counselling and legal avenues increasingly seen as viable options.