Summary and Conclusions

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1. Out of 151 cases of dowry deaths

reported in Allahabad range

(including Allahabad, Fatehpur and

Pratapgarh districts), Approx. 50%

of deaths (77) were recorded in

Allahabad.

2. Yearly distribution of dowry death

cases in Allahabad range showed

that the number of dowry deaths are

exhibiting an increasing trend.

3. Regarding nature of death,

homicidal deaths predominated over

suicides. The ratio between

homicidal and suicidal deaths was

approx. 3.6 : 1 4. Both in homicidal and suicidal

deaths, either the husband or his

relatives were primarily

responsible for killing or forcing

the victims to end her life.

5. Hindu female victims comprised of

an alarmingly large group (94.04%);

while the number of deaths in the

other religious groups especially

Muslim, Sikh and Christian

communities were negligible.

6. The most vulnerable age group of

women involved in dowry deaths

ranged 18-30 years.

7. Maximum victims (27.81%) were aged

between 23-26 years and minimum victims (5.6%) aged between 35 to

38 years.

8. Most of the victims (68.21%) died

or were killed between 4 PM to 6

9. In-law’s house was the commonest

location (60.27%) of incidence

followed by husband’s house.

10. The study revealed that burning was

the most common mode of dowry

deaths.

11. In deaths due to poisoning aluminum

phosphide (ALP) especially was the

commonest poison used. Majority of

deaths due to poisoning were found

to be suicidal whereas only a few were found to be homicidal in

nature.

12. As far as the academic background

of dowry death cases was concerned

a great majority of the victims

(96.03%) were either illiterate,

non-matric or only matriculate.

Only a few were graduates.

13. Most of the victims belonged to the lower socio economic status.

14. In majority (95.36%) of cases, the

victims were housewives and only

few were working women.

15. Majority (80.13%) of the victims were drawn from joint family.

16. Incidence of dowry deaths was more

common in arranged marriages whereas only few 8.61% related to

love marriages.

17. A detailed year wise distribution

of the cases of crime against the

women in U.P. revealed that

although total number of crimes

decreased in 1997 but the

percentage of dowry deaths showed a

slow but steady rising trend in

last three years.

18. The study indicates that the dowry

is well planned crime executed

within the four walls of a house by

family members. Most of the victims

died on spot but those who survived

hesitate to make a statement before

magistrate either due to fear psychosis or traditional respect of

family members and husband. Victims

were quite often threatened,

coerced or persuaded by the

relatives to make a statement

favourable to the husband.

19. Dowry is basically a social problem

which cannot be eradicated by law

alone. For its eradication, the

society will have to fight at

social level. The rapid increase in

dowry deaths among newly married

females has drawn the attention of

the masses and various socio-

welfare organisations. This has

forced the government of India to

adopt certain antidowry measures but they are not sufficient to

fight this scourge whose roots are

very deeply set in the country.

Besides, old socio-cultural

sanctions for the dowry system and

near complete dependence of hindu

women on their husbands and in-laws

in all matters create further

problems.

In my opinion, to prevent the dowry deaths the following steps may be helpful: (A) Social and Economical measures

(i) Public opinion against the

magnitude and gravity of dowry

deaths should be mobilized through

various agencies.

(ii) An effective co-operation

should be sought between the non-

government voluntary and law-

enforcing agencies to prevent and

control crimes against women

expeditiously.

(iii) Social boycott of those tainted

boys and theri families in future

marriage negotiations by the

society.

(iv) Costly and ostentanious

marriage rituals should be discouraged by society and

preferably a ban on such marriages

be imposed by government.

(v) Newly wedded couples should be

allowed to live separately from

their in-laws during first few

formative years of their marriage.

If at all family disputes or

bickerings are quite frequent.

(vi) Effective measures for

promoting education among the women

and creating more job potentials to

make them economically independent

and free.

(B) Leagal and Administrative measures

(i) More strict laws should be framed

for offenders of dowry deaths and use of various explosive and

inflammable materials and poisons

to prevent unnatural female deaths.

(ii) Enacting laws with more teeth

against torture of housewives by

their husbands and / or in-laws.

(iii) Inquest by a magistrate or a

senior police officer should be

compulsarily done in all cases of

unnatural female deaths of this age

group especially in burn cases and

existing laws should be strictly

adhered to.

(vi) A visit by the autopsy -

surgeon to the scene of crime

should be made compulsory along

with Forensic expert. (v) A well equipped task force with

modern techniques for proper and

prompt investigations should be

sanctioned where dowry death rates

are relatively high. members of

women protection cells should be

given special training and adequate

and sufficient facilities with

more-staff, social workers,

counsellors, women police personnel

besides separate space for housing

such cells.

(vi) Special courts preferably with

women judges should be created to

try the cases expeditiously.

(vii) Separate burn-wards should be

established with modern facilities in the hospitals to treat such patients intensively by the trained health staff.