150 per cent rise in dowry cases in last decade

Hyderabad: In the last decade, the number of complaints under Section 498 (A) (cruelty against women, dowry harassment) has increased by 150 percent, according to data with the National Crime Records Bureau. The number of pending cases have also arisen while conviction rate of such cases is amongst the lowest of all IPC crimes. The Supreme Court on Friday restored the power of the police to arrest the husband and family members on a complaint under 498 (A).

Section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code deals with domestic violence and cruelty towards women by the husband or his family. From the data provided by NCRB it is seen that in the last decade the number of acquittals have increased, while there is a dip in convictions. From 24,404 acquittals in 2006, the number went up to 39248 in 2016, an increase of more than 60 per cent.

Advocate Krishna Prasad explained , "The fact about rise in complaints under section 498 (A) is because of widespread awareness; victims are now conscious about filing a police complaint if they encounter physical or verbal abuse from the husband or in-laws. Secondly the decrease in conviction rates may also be due to false cases or police failing to prove the accused as guilty. However there is no evidence to substantiate this."

Women's rights' activist Ms Sreebala argued, “All laws are prone to misuse, but it's only in the case of women that a call to dilute the law is being made.”

Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping, and rape that formed the next three major chunks of crimes against women, had conviction rates of 21.8 pe cent, 21.4 per cent and 25.5 per cent in 2016, according to NCRB.