Navi Mumbai is said to be a city of 21st century, with a literacy rate of 98%. However, this high rate of literacy seems have nothing to do in reducing the social diseases such as dowry harassment and abetment to suicide.
According to sources from Navi Mumbai crime branch, dowry harassment and abetment to suicide cases have gone up in the satellite city by 50% in the first 10 months of this year. Between January 1 and October 31, police have registered 111 cases under section 489A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code. The number of such cases registered during the same period in 2012 was just 74.
As many as 21 cases have been registered under section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code in the first 10 months of 2013, against 14 cases in the same duration last year.
Likewise, cases registered under section 304B (dowry death) have also gone up to 4 this year from 3 cases in 2012.
It has been observed that even the highly-educated people from aristocratic families are getting involved in dowry harassment cases.
Just four months ago, Khandeshwar police arrested an engineer with Bhabha Atomic Research Center after his wife committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan of their flat. The accused, Abhijit allegedly told his wife Vrushali to get a few lakhs of rupees from her parents for purchasing a car. He started torturing her after her parents informed that they were unable to pay such a huge amount.
In the third week of May, an MBA graduate from Vashi committed suicide. During police investigation it was revealed that she was being harassed by her in-laws after her parents refused to pay them money for purchasing a flat.
Senior police officers, however, are of the opinion that most dowry harassment accused belong to middle class and lower middle class families. Suresh Pawar, assistant commissioner of police, said, “People hailing from affluent and poor families are also getting involved in such crimes. However, their number is less compared to the accused belonging to middle class and lower middle class families.”
“In many cases, parents and sisters of the groom start torturing the bride just after their marriage if they are not satisfied with the dowry the bride gets from her parents. The bride finally takes the drastic step not being able to tolerate the physical and mental tortures of her husband and in-laws,” said another police officer.
Crime against women
In 2013
111 cases of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide between Jan 1 and Oct 31
4 cases of dowry death
In 2012
74 cases of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide between Jan 1 and Oct 31
3 cases of dowry death
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