Sahana Charan

and Raghava M.

Bangalore: Even after years of campaigning by voluntary organisations against the menace of dowry and their efforts to create awareness on it, the number of dowry deaths and dowry harassment cases is on the rise.

But justice eludes most of the victims of dowry harassment, as the conviction rate in such cases is low.

According to statistics available with the Police Department, 230 dowry death cases were reported in the State last year, of which 39 were from Bangalore. With respect to dowry harassment reported in the city, 213 cases were filed in 2003, which increased to 227 in 2004. Last year, 287 cases were recorded, while till the end of September 2006, 206 such cases have been reported.

"There has been a steady increase in the number of women complaining about harassment," says Hema Deshpande of Vanita Sahaya Vani, a women's helpline (Ph: 1091) functioning on the premises of the office of the City Police Commissioner.

The helpline had received around 200 complaints a year during the first few years, after it was started in 1993. It was now receiving close to 200 complaints every month on various issues, of which many were related to dowry harassment, she said.

Sources in the Corps of Detectives (CoD) also said that there was an increase in cases of women being victimised for dowry and also in the number of dowry deaths in the State.

Last year, around seven persons had been convicted under the Dowry Prohibition Act (DPA) and Section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while in 2004, 13 convictions had taken place, sources told The Hindu.

The Anti-Dowry Cell of the CoD investigates dowry death cases in the State. In Bangalore, all the cases related to women, including those of dowry harassment, are investigated by the two women police stations.

V. Janardhan, Deputy Director, Prosecution, told The Hindu that about 75 per cent of the cases filed were not contested as witnesses, including family members of the victims, turned hostile and did not give evidence as a result of compromise between the contesting parties.

"Of the contested cases, ten per cent are found to be cases filed on frivolous grounds and those in which the harassment charge is not proved properly. It is only in 15 per cent of the contested cases that conviction takes place," he added.

According to Donna Fernandes of Vimochana Forum for Women's Rights, the notion of marriage and family is so much ingrained in our society that even if the girl is being harassed, she is forced to reconcile. Many police stations were referring complaints to the helpline before they were registered, as once a case was filed, it could not be retracted, she said.

Counselling

"We hold counselling sessions and have been able to reconcile the differences in about 40 per cent of the cases," Ms. Deshpande says.

"There were many contradictions in the DPA Act and that may be the reason for the low rate of conviction" she said. The Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System has recommended amendment in the IPC and making the offence under Section 498 (A) bailable and compoundable.

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