<p> SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1. Out of 151 cases of dowry deaths</p><p> reported in Allahabad range</p><p>(including Allahabad, Fatehpur and</p><p>Pratapgarh districts), Approx. 50%</p><p> of deaths (77) were recorded in</p><p>Allahabad.</p><p>2. Yearly distribution of dowry death</p><p> cases in Allahabad range showed</p><p> that the number of dowry deaths are</p><p> exhibiting an increasing trend.</p><p>3. Regarding nature of death,</p><p> homicidal deaths predominated over</p><p> suicides. The ratio between</p><p> homicidal and suicidal deaths was</p><p> approx. 3.6 : 1 4. Both in homicidal and suicidal</p><p> deaths, either the husband or his</p><p> relatives were primarily</p><p> responsible for killing or forcing</p><p> the victims to end her life.</p><p>5. Hindu female victims comprised of</p><p> an alarmingly large group (94.04%);</p><p> while the number of deaths in the</p><p> other religious groups especially</p><p>Muslim, Sikh and Christian</p><p> communities were negligible.</p><p>6. The most vulnerable age group of</p><p> women involved in dowry deaths</p><p> ranged 18-30 years.</p><p>7. Maximum victims (27.81%) were aged</p><p> between 23-26 years and minimum victims (5.6%) aged between 35 to</p><p>38 years.</p><p>8. Most of the victims (68.21%) died</p><p> or were killed between 4 PM to 6</p><p>AM.</p><p>9. In-law’s house was the commonest</p><p> location (60.27%) of incidence</p><p> followed by husband’s house.</p><p>10. The study revealed that burning was</p><p> the most common mode of dowry</p><p> deaths.</p><p>11. In deaths due to poisoning aluminum</p><p> phosphide (ALP) especially was the</p><p> commonest poison used. Majority of</p><p> deaths due to poisoning were found</p><p> to be suicidal whereas only a few were found to be homicidal in</p><p> nature.</p><p>12. As far as the academic background</p><p> of dowry death cases was concerned</p><p> a great majority of the victims</p><p>(96.03%) were either illiterate,</p><p> non-matric or only matriculate.</p><p>Only a few were graduates.</p><p>13. Most of the victims belonged to the lower socio economic status.</p><p>14. In majority (95.36%) of cases, the</p><p> victims were housewives and only</p><p> few were working women.</p><p>15. Majority (80.13%) of the victims were drawn from joint family.</p><p>16. Incidence of dowry deaths was more</p><p> common in arranged marriages whereas only few 8.61% related to</p><p> love marriages.</p><p>17. A detailed year wise distribution</p><p> of the cases of crime against the</p><p> women in U.P. revealed that</p><p> although total number of crimes</p><p> decreased in 1997 but the</p><p> percentage of dowry deaths showed a</p><p> slow but steady rising trend in</p><p> last three years.</p><p>18. The study indicates that the dowry</p><p> is well planned crime executed</p><p> within the four walls of a house by</p><p> family members. Most of the victims</p><p> died on spot but those who survived</p><p> hesitate to make a statement before</p><p> magistrate either due to fear psychosis or traditional respect of</p><p> family members and husband. Victims</p><p> were quite often threatened,</p><p> coerced or persuaded by the</p><p> relatives to make a statement</p><p> favourable to the husband.</p><p>19. Dowry is basically a social problem</p><p> which cannot be eradicated by law</p><p> alone. For its eradication, the</p><p> society will have to fight at</p><p> social level. The rapid increase in</p><p> dowry deaths among newly married</p><p> females has drawn the attention of</p><p> the masses and various socio-</p><p> welfare organisations. This has</p><p> forced the government of India to</p><p> adopt certain antidowry measures but they are not sufficient to</p><p> fight this scourge whose roots are</p><p> very deeply set in the country.</p><p>Besides, old socio-cultural</p><p> sanctions for the dowry system and</p><p> near complete dependence of hindu</p><p> women on their husbands and in-laws</p><p> in all matters create further</p><p> problems.</p><p>In my opinion, to prevent the dowry deaths the following steps may be helpful: (A) Social and Economical measures</p><p>(i) Public opinion against the</p><p> magnitude and gravity of dowry</p><p> deaths should be mobilized through</p><p> various agencies.</p><p>(ii) An effective co-operation</p><p> should be sought between the non-</p><p> government voluntary and law-</p><p> enforcing agencies to prevent and</p><p> control crimes against women</p><p> expeditiously.</p><p>(iii) Social boycott of those tainted</p><p> boys and theri families in future</p><p> marriage negotiations by the</p><p> society.</p><p>(iv) Costly and ostentanious</p><p> marriage rituals should be discouraged by society and</p><p> preferably a ban on such marriages</p><p> be imposed by government.</p><p>(v) Newly wedded couples should be</p><p> allowed to live separately from</p><p> their in-laws during first few</p><p> formative years of their marriage.</p><p>If at all family disputes or</p><p> bickerings are quite frequent.</p><p>(vi) Effective measures for</p><p> promoting education among the women</p><p> and creating more job potentials to</p><p> make them economically independent</p><p> and free.</p><p>(B) Leagal and Administrative measures</p><p>(i) More strict laws should be framed</p><p> for offenders of dowry deaths and use of various explosive and</p><p> inflammable materials and poisons</p><p> to prevent unnatural female deaths.</p><p>(ii) Enacting laws with more teeth</p><p> against torture of housewives by</p><p> their husbands and / or in-laws.</p><p>(iii) Inquest by a magistrate or a</p><p> senior police officer should be</p><p> compulsarily done in all cases of</p><p> unnatural female deaths of this age</p><p> group especially in burn cases and</p><p> existing laws should be strictly</p><p> adhered to.</p><p>(vi) A visit by the autopsy -</p><p> surgeon to the scene of crime</p><p> should be made compulsory along</p><p> with Forensic expert. (v) A well equipped task force with</p><p> modern techniques for proper and</p><p> prompt investigations should be</p><p> sanctioned where dowry death rates</p><p> are relatively high. members of</p><p> women protection cells should be</p><p> given special training and adequate</p><p> and sufficient facilities with</p><p> more-staff, social workers,</p><p> counsellors, women police personnel</p><p> besides separate space for housing</p><p> such cells.</p><p>(vi) Special courts preferably with</p><p> women judges should be created to</p><p> try the cases expeditiously.</p><p>(vii) Separate burn-wards should be</p><p> established with modern facilities in the hospitals to treat such patients intensively by the trained health staff.</p>