📄 Citizen Pocket Legal Shield (Printable 1-Page Offline Card)
Top 10 essential everyday protections formatted to print on 1 page or save on phone.
Special Safeguard
⚠️ STRICT STATUTORY BAN
🌐 All-India Central Act
Can Police arrest a woman after sunset and before sunrise?
NO. Law strictly prohibits arresting women between 6 PM and 6 AM without prior written magistrate sanction.
Governing Law:
Section 46(4) CrPC / Section 43(5) Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)
Constitutional Articles:
Article 21 (Dignity & Liberty), Article 15(3) (Special Provisions for Women)
(Art 21 →)
(Art 15 →)
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 21, 15 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Section 46(4) CrPC / Section 43(5) Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), section 46(4) of CrPC mandates that no woman shall be arrested after sunset and before sunrise. Under Article 21 (Dignity & Liberty), Article 15(3) (Special Provisions for Women), arbitrary action or discrimination is strictly barred; kindly proceed in accordance with written rules and provide a reasoned record.”
What the Law Says
- • Section 46(4) of CrPC mandates that no woman shall be arrested after sunset and before sunrise.
- • Even in exceptional circumstances, arrest requires prior written permission of First Class Judicial Magistrate AND presence of a female police officer.
- • Male police officers are strictly forbidden from touching a woman during arrest.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- Cite Section 46(4) CrPC / Section 43(5) BNSS.
- Ask to see the written permission order issued by the Judicial Magistrate.
- Insist on the immediate presence of a woman police officer and your legal counsel (Article 22(1)).
- Immediately call 112 or Women Helpline 1091.
Home Interrogation
⛔ CANNOT CALL TO POLICE STATION
🌐 All-India Central Act
Can police summon a woman, child under 15, or senior citizen to the police station for questioning?
NO. Law forbids calling women or minors to the police station as witnesses. Questioning must take place at their residence.
Governing Law:
Section 160(1) Proviso CrPC / Section 179(1) BNSS
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 21, 15 Shield
“Under Section 160(1) of CrPC, women cannot be summoned to the police station. You may record the statement at my home in the presence of my family. (Protected under Article 21 (Personal Dignity), Article 15(3)).”
What the Law Says
- • The proviso to Section 160(1) CrPC strictly provides that no male under 15 years or female of any age can be required to attend any place other than their own residence.
- • Police must visit the woman's residence in civil clothes or with a female officer.
- • Police notice ordering a woman to appear at the station for witness statement is null and void.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- State firmly: "Under Section 160(1) of CrPC, women cannot be summoned to the police station. You may record the statement at my home in the presence of my family."
- Do not accompany police to the station without a lawyer.
- Contact Women Helpline 1091 or District Legal Services Authority.
Home Safety
⚠️ IMMEDIATE PROTECTION BY LAW
🌐 All-India Central Act
Can an abusive spouse or in-laws throw a woman out of her matrimonial home?
NO. Women have a legally protected right to reside in their shared matrimonial household under the Domestic Violence Act.
Governing Law:
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 & Article 21
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 21, 15 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 & Article 21, section 17 of the DV Act grants every woman in a domestic relationship the right to reside in the shared household, regardless of property ownership. Under Article 21 (Right to Dignity), Article 15(3), arbitrary action or discrimination is strictly barred; kindly proceed in accordance with written rules and provide a reasoned record.”
What the Law Says
- • Section 17 of the DV Act grants every woman in a domestic relationship the right to reside in the shared household, regardless of property ownership.
- • A Magistrate can pass immediate Protection Orders and Residence Orders restraining the abuser from dispossessing her or entering her room.
- • Monetary relief, maintenance, and child custody can be granted urgently within days.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- Call 1091 (Women Helpline) or 181 immediately for emergency shelter and police protection.
- File an application before the local Judicial Magistrate or Protection Officer (PO) for an immediate Residence Order.
Property Equality
⚠️ EQUAL COPARCENARY
🌐 All-India Central Act
Do daughters have equal inheritance rights in ancestral property as sons?
YES. Supreme Court in Vineeta Sharma affirmed that daughters are coparceners by birth with rights equal to sons in ancestral property.
Governing Law:
Section 6, Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 & Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma (2020)
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 14, 15 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Section 6, Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 & Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma (2020), daughters possess equal birthrights in ancestral property regardless of whether their father was alive in 2005. Under Article 14 (Gender Equality) & Article 15(1), arbitrary action or discrimination is strictly barred; kindly proceed in accordance with written rules and provide a reasoned record.”
What the Law Says
- • Daughters possess equal birthrights in ancestral property regardless of whether their father was alive in 2005.
- • Married daughters retain their coparcenary rights in their parents' ancestral property unconditionally.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- Obtain family tree genealogical records and ancestral land revenue documents (Khatauni/ROR).
- File a suit for partition and separate possession before the Civil Court if male relatives deny your legal share.
Workplace Safety
✅ MANDATORY ICC
🌐 All-India Central Act
Is every company obligated to maintain an Internal Complaints Committee for women's safety?
YES. Any organization employing 10 or more people MUST constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) headed by a senior woman.
Governing Law:
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act)
Constitutional Articles:
Article 14, Article 19(1)(g) & Article 21 (Safe Working Environment)
(Art 14 →)
(Art 19 →)
(Art 21 →)
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 14, 19, 21 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act), iCC must consist of at least 50% women members and include an external NGO member. This is my fundamental right under Article 14, Article 19(1)(g) & Article 21 (Safe Working Environment); if any restriction applies, kindly provide the written statutory order.”
What the Law Says
- • ICC must consist of at least 50% women members and include an external NGO member.
- • Employer failing to constitute an ICC faces cancellation of business licenses and statutory fines.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- Submit a written complaint to the Presiding Officer of the ICC within 3 months of the incident.
- The committee must conclude inquiry within 90 days with strict confidentiality.
Bodily Autonomy
✅ REPRODUCTIVE RIGHT
🌐 All-India Central Act
Can an adult pregnant woman terminate pregnancy up to 24 weeks without spousal consent?
YES. Supreme Court in X v. Principal Secretary affirmed that reproductive autonomy belongs solely to the woman; husband or family consent is NOT required.
Governing Law:
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 & Supreme Court Landmark Ruling (2022)
Constitutional Articles:
Article 21 (Right to Bodily Autonomy & Reproductive Choice)
(Art 21 →)
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 21 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 & Supreme Court Landmark Ruling (2022), applies equally to married and unmarried women. This is constitutionally protected under Article 21 (Right to Bodily Autonomy & Reproductive Choice); kindly follow statutory due process and provide an official written record.”
What the Law Says
- • Applies equally to married and unmarried women.
- • Registered Medical Practitioners must strictly protect the woman's medical confidentiality.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- Consult a registered gynecologist at a government hospital or approved MTP clinic.
- Your medical consent alone is legally sufficient for the procedure.
Livelihood Shield
⚠️ INTERIM RELIEF IN 60 DAYS
🌐 All-India Central Act
Can a separated or divorced woman claim immediate maintenance for herself and children?
YES. Section 125 CrPC / Section 144 BNSS mandates that applications for interim maintenance must be disposed of within 60 days from the date of service of notice.
Governing Law:
Section 125 CrPC / Section 144 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 & Rajnesh v. Neha (2020)
Constitutional Articles:
Article 15(3) & Article 21 (Protection of Women & Children)
(Art 15 →)
(Art 21 →)
Exact Words to Speak Calmly:
🛡️ Article 15, 21 Shield
“Officer / Authority, with due respect, as per Section 125 CrPC / Section 144 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 & Rajnesh v. Neha (2020), supreme Court in Rajnesh v. Neha made it mandatory for both spouses to file comprehensive Affidavits of Assets and Liabilities. Under Article 15(3) & Article 21 (Protection of Women & Children), arbitrary action or discrimination is strictly barred; kindly proceed in accordance with written rules and provide a reasoned record.”
What the Law Says
- • Supreme Court in Rajnesh v. Neha made it mandatory for both spouses to file comprehensive Affidavits of Assets and Liabilities.
- • Maintenance is calculated according to the husband's actual earning capacity and living standard.
- • Failure to pay maintenance leads to attachment of salary or civil imprisonment.
What to Say & Do Calmly (Step-by-Step)
- File an application under Section 125 CrPC / 144 BNSS before the Family Court with an Affidavit of Assets.
- Request urgent interim maintenance orders within 60 days for day-to-day food, schooling, and shelter expenses.