Dowry is an act of demanding or giving some valuable assets or money by the bride to the groom usually. It is a social evil. Taking or demanding and giving or announcing dowry is an offence. In olden days bride’s family was forced to pay certain sums to the family of groom under the pretence that the bride would be treated well if such demand was fulfilled. Irrespective of the financial condition of bride’s family such demand had to be met with or else the bride would be subject to violence and also in certain extreme cases marriages would be terminated. Non-fulfillment of such demands would result in mental, physical, emotional harassment of such bride and ultimately it would cause her to end her life. It is when dowry deaths increased at an alarming rate it was realized that some bar has to be put to such inhumane behavior of groom and his family. Dowry death was brought under the ambit of offences under Indian Penal Code.

Essentials of Dowry Death:
1) Woman whose death is caused shall be married.
2) Death to have occurred within 7 years of marriage.
3) Death was caused by burns or bodily injury otherwise than under normal circumstances
4) Woman should have been subjected to cruelty by her husband or by relatives of her husband.
5) Cruelty and harassment shall be in relation to dowry.
6) Cruelty or harassment should have been meted out to woman soon before her death.
Punishment prescribed for dowry death is imprisonment for a term not less than 7 years but which may extend upto imprisonment for life.

Prosecution must prove the unnatural death and in case of inconclusive death the section cannot be made applicable. Unnatural death shall occur immediately after the act of cruelty or harassment by the husband or his relatives.

Even today dowry is demanded and taken in some parts of the country. Complete eradication of dowry is the need in order to curb the deaths caused due to dowry. Awareness has to be created amongst the masses in the rural areas that dowry giving or demanding is an offence.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.

Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter  Youtube and Instagram.

The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.

If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at adv.aishwaryasandeep@gmail.com

We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.

We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge