In a landmark order, the Bombay High Court has ruled a woman can invoke criminal provisions of the Domestic Violence Act against female relatives of her husband. Hearing a plea filed by Mumbai resident Sachin Patil and his family, challenging the case filed by his estranged wife, especially against his mother and sister, Justice Ravindra Ghuge said the special law to tackle domestic violence can't be restricted only to the husband's male relatives. "Since the 2005 Act is aimed at protecting women, the submissions of Patil, if accepted, would create an insulation for the female members of the husband's family who may go unpunished for acts amounting to domestic violence," said Justice Ghuge, adding, "When specific allegations are made against the lady members of the husband's family like the mother-in-law, or the sister of the husband etc, the complainant can't be rendered remedy-less by precluding her from arraigning such female members who could be t...