The Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 скачать в хорошем качестве

The Dowry Prohibition Act 1961

“Dowry”, a customary practice in India is a part of the patriarchal social system. Nowadays, dowry is a monstrous system, an evil practice involving family prestige and social status. Domestic violence and dowry deaths are widespread in India; around 45% of Indian women are exonerated and many killed in the name of dowry In India, it is estimated that five women face dowry-related torture and cruelty every hour on average. A study conducted in 2010 shows that an Indian woman is burned to death every 90 minutes. This number does not account for the other methods used to murder women whose families fail to meet dowry demands. There were 8,391 reported incidents of dowry-motivated murders in 2010 alone. Despite the long-standing practice of dowry murders, the Indian government did not address this form of crime until the mid-1950s. In 1953, the government realised the gravity of the dowry as a crime but did not consider it a matter of urgency. In 1959, the Government of India processed the dowry prohibition bill. The Dowry Prohibition Act was enacted in 1961 May. In 1984 and once again in 1986, the Act was twice amended " to rectify several inherent weaknesses and loopholes in the Act.” What is dowry? Dowry means any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given directly or indirectly by one party of marriage to the other party to the wedding. It may be provided at or before or any time after the marriage in connection with the union of the said parties. Is it a punishable Act? Yes, giving or receiving dowry is a punishable criminal offence. It can be punished for up to five years and is acceptable, not less than 15000 rupees or the amount of the value of the dowry, whichever is more. And also, demanding dowry is a punishable act. It can be imposed with imprisonment of six months or a maximum of two years and a fine up to Rs.10,000. Ok. Is giving presents (gifts) to the bride or bridegroom at the time of marriage punishable? No, if the gifts are given freely or voluntarily. The Act also insists on rules regarding maintaining the list of presents. The bride must maintain the list of presents given to her at marriage. The bridegroom must maintain the list of presents received by him. These lists must be prepared at marriage or as soon as possible. They must contain the following: A brief description of each present. The name of the giver Its approximate value Their relationship to the receiver of the gift The signatures of both the bride and the bridegroom. What is dowry death? How can it be defined? Indian parliament defines dowry death as follows; the death of a woman caused by any burns or bodily injury that occurs under otherwise normal circumstances within seven years of her marriage, and it is shown that soon before her death, she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry, such death shall be called “dowry death.” Dowry death is a form of domestic violence explicitly geared toward married women who cannot meet the financial demands made by their husbands and in-laws. A woman’s murder at the hands of her husband and his family are classified as dowry death only in instances where it meets the requirements as outlined in the Act. Under the Act, five criteria must be met before a woman’s murder is investigated as dowry death. The Dowry Prohibition Act states that the murder of one’s wife constitutes dowry death only if: the death is caused by burns or bodily injuries or occurs under abnormal circumstances and the death occurs within seven years of her marriage and she was harassed or subjected to cruelty by her husband or her in-laws The underlying cause of the death is connected to demands made by the husband or his relatives for dowry. What is the punishment for dowry death? A guilty person can be jailed from seven years to life imprisonment twenty years up to the gravity of the crime committed.