Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (EP)

Bengaluru, Mar 16: 6,867 cases of dowry harassment were registered in the state during the last three years. As the police stations are converted into reconciliation centers most of them get solved on compromise. If those climb court steps, the victim loses patience because of the cases that drag on for several years. “Therefore, the quantum of punishment decreases,” say the police and advocates who argue in favor of complainants.

3,187 cases of dowry harassment were registered in 2013. Their number has reduced from year to year. That does not mean that harassment has come down. Those who register cases and guide the victims have become less. It is an irony that five year old cases are still in investigation stage.

As per NCRB records, a woman becomes victim of dowry harassment every fifteen minutes. But lacs of cases of women experiencing violence remain unreported. There is nobody in the current circumstances who tells what is violence and what is not to the victims. Nobody guides them, said advocate S Ambika.

There is a situation of police questioning the character of the victim instead of investigating dowry harassment when the victim goes to the police station to complain. Frequent change of judges is also a reason for decrease in punishment said the advocate.