ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

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A Spatio-temporal Analysis of Dowry Crimes in India

Special Articles
Vol. 60, Issue No. 13, 29 Mar, 2025
Rambooshan Tiwari
Shubham Narayan Dixit

The custom of dowry is deeply rooted in Indian society, and dowry crimes occur all over the country. While the number of dowry deaths has remained almost stable during the 21st century, the incidents of violation of the Dowry Prohibition Act have increased gradually. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar emerge as the hotspots of dowry deaths in India, and the majority of districts having higher numbers of dowry deaths are located in these two states, apart from some north Indian metropolitan cities. The high number of dowry cases pending in the courts also highlights the inefficiency of the judiciary and the delay in justice. 

 

The Dowry Prohibition Act (DPA), 1961 defines dowry as “any property or valued security given or agreed to be given, directly or indirectly, to either partner in a marriage, to the other party’s parents, to any other person, is referred to as dowry” (GoI 1961). Dowry goes back to the ancient period in the Indian subcontinent, and the Manusmriti, or the Laws of Manu, described it as the custom of giving a wealthy and exquisitely attired daughter as a present to a man entering marriage, seen as the most esteemed form of giving, elevating the social and religious stature of the bride’s father. The groom gave the bride’s father a bull and a cow as gratitude for this priceless, distinguished gift (Buhler 1964). 

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