DOWRY SYSTEM

• DOWRY DEPTHS
A Dowry is a transfer of parental property, gifts or money at the marriage of a
daughter .
while dowry is the wealth transferred from the groom or his family,
dowry is an ancient custom, dowry continue to be expected , and demanded as a
condition to accept a marriage proposal, in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of
Asia , Northern Africa .
In some parts of the world , disputes related to dowry sometimes result in acts of violence
against women , including killing and acid attacks.
The custom of dowry is most common in cultures that are strongly patrilineal and that
except women to reside with or ear their husband’ family .

Locally dowry is called dahej in Hindi , jehaz in Urdu and Arabic , joutuk in Bengali ,
jiazhuang in mandarin,
etc
Causes for Dowry
● Greed factor
● Society structure
● Religious dictates
● Social constraints
● Social status of women
● Illiteracy
● Propulsion towards adhering to customs
● Urge to show off
 CASE STUDY
▶ Three get life term in dowry death case

▶ Delhi : A Delhi court has sentenced a woman and her two sons to life imprisonment for burning alive her
daughter-in-law for bringing insufficient dowry .
▶ Additional sessions judge Ravinder Dudeja awarded life term to the three, saying that deterrent sentence (in
cases where the women are tortured and harassed and killed by the husband and the relatives of the
husband ) said the court in a recent order .
▶ It convicted seema’s mother-in-law kanta, her husband Vicky and brother-in-law bunty, taking into account
the victim’s harassment and torture by them for bringing less dowry and all the three accused persons in
furtherance of their common intention , poured kerosene oil over her and burnt her to death ,
▶ The court gave its order in the case which dates back to march 2004 , when victim seema , married to nanglo
resident Vicky two years earlier , had been set burning by her in-laws at their west Delhi residence.
▶ In her dying declarations, seema had maintained that she had been set burning by her
▶ mother-in-law, husband and his brother for bringing insufficient dowry .
▶ a day after the incident , seema told the executive magistrate from her death bed in the hospital that all three
were party to the firing act of burning her , she had said that after being set fired , she rushed out of the hous
, where neighbors put of the blaze and took her to hospital.
▶ Father of the victim had deposed in the court that after around six months of the marriage, seema’s husband
and her
▶ in-laws had demanded a two wheeler which he was unable to give .
MAN, FATHER GET LIFE TERM FOR
KILLING WOMAN OVER DOWRY
GHAZIABAD – A fast track court in Ghaziabad has given life sentences to a man and his father
for killing his wife for dowry.
The woman was harassed and tortured by her husband and in-law who were demanding her to
bring rs 50,000 cash and a motorcycle as dowry , court source said.
Additional government counsel Ramesh yadav said the 23 years old woman , a native of raasna
village of meerut district, was married with Iran of Suhana village in june2013.
Iran and his father shahbuddin started torturing her for dowry just after the marriage,
mr yadav said the woman’s father went to meet her in September but did not find her at her in-
law house following which he field a police complaint stating that his daughter was tortured for
dowry.
An FIR was lodged under sections of dowry and harassment and the police filed charge sheet
after a detailed probe.
Fast track court judge kamlesh kumar today awarded life sentence to Iran and his father
shahbuddin and also imposed pecuniary fine of rs 7000 rupees each ..
Solutions
● Law
● Enforcement
● Social awareness
● Education and self dependence of women
● Overhaul of mindsets
Historical approach to
dowry
1.Custom
2.20 th century _bribe price
3.code of Manu
 Legal journey
Dowry Prohibition act 1961
Progressive organisation of women
1977 Delhi movements
Loopholes of the Dowry
Prohibition Act