J Indian Acad Forensic Med. July-September 2011, Vol. 33, No.
3 ISSN 0971-0973
Original Research Paper
An Autopsy Study of Socio-Etiological Aspects in
Dowry Death Cases
*Radhika.R.H, **Ananda.K
Abstract
Violence affects lives of millions of woman worldwide, in all societies, one of the most heinous
and shocking forms among them is DOWRY DEATH, is one among the various reasons for suicidal (i.e.
abetted suicide) and homicidal deaths of women in India, other being marital infidelity, sexual jealousy
etc. This study done at Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Bangalore
South, was conducted during the period July 2006 to January 2008, aims and objectives were to know
the magnitude, socio etiologic profile and methods used for committing suicide/homicide, and various
other factors affecting the alarming rise in incidence of dowry death and also to lend valuable suggestion
to concerned authorities to prevent this heinous social evil of our society. Most of the victims were aged
between 18 to 25 years of age, maximum of the victims died within three years of married life, most
commonly between 1 to 2 years of married life. Hanging is the most common method used for dowry
deaths.
Key words: Bride burning, Dowry deaths, dowry death, Unnatural female deaths
Introduction High incidence of unnatural deaths of
Even after years of campaigning by young newly married females through
voluntary organizations against the menace of suicide/homicide following disputes over the
dowry and their efforts to create awareness on dowry is a dark spot on the noble tradition of our
it, the number of dowry deaths and dowry society. Dowry and dowry related suicide and
harassment cases is on the rise and according murders are such evils in the society which are
to the National Crime Records Bureau putting the society in great shame.
Bangalore is now the “crime capital” of the In a case report, one of the variant of
South. The city has seen an increase in the typical Indian phenomenon of greed
organized crime, economic offences, cyber circumventing sanity and inventing ways to
crime, crime against women and children, evade the law while still gaining the objective,
extortions and gang wars over the last couple of i.e., the death of the wife, was „Dowry
decades. [1] cannibalism‟, where a man was accused by his
The dowry related harassments and wife of regularly extracting and drinking her
deaths are increasing day by day due to blood, mixed with liquor, to punish her for not
prevailing socio-economic lifestyle. The dowry is bringing him enough of a dowry at their
closely interlinked to many crimes committed marriage. Author also says that this was the first
against women, viz, female infanticide, domestic instance to their knowledge, where a person has
violence, and neglect of the girl child, denial of indulged in cannibalism.
educational and career opportunities to Legal and medical people must be
daughters, rape, extortion, homicide and aware that such an event has occurred in an out
discrimination against women. of the way part of India. [2] The evil of the dowry
system is a matter of serious concern to
Corresponding Author: everyone in view of its ever increasing and
* Assistant Professor disturbing proportions. They are well planned
Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology crimes, executed within the four walls of a house
MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital by the family members. Most of the victims die
Hosakote – 562 114,Karnataka, India on the spot and those who survive hesitate to
Email: rhr_doc@yahoo.com make a statement before a magistrate either due
**Professor and Head, FMT to fear psychosis on account of lack of
Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences alternative support, or they are persuaded or
Bangalore-560004.Karnataka, India threatened not to do so.
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J Indian Acad Forensic Med. July-September 2011, Vol. 33, No. 3 ISSN 0971-0973
Sadly, awareness and education, particularly of (55%) cases, and 27 (45%) cases in joint family,
young people and women, has not helped to in Figure 3.
ease the situation. In fact, families of people who With regard to methods used for
are better educated, more qualified with foreign dowry deaths like hanging, poisoning, burns,
degrees, etc have often demanded or given strangulation etc, hanging constituted the
more dowry. Unless the perpetrators of the maximum number of dowry deaths i.e. 47
crime are punished, the incidence of dowry (78.33%) cases out of 60 cases, followed by
related deaths will not decrease or be poisoning 7 (11.66%) cases, burns 5 (8.33%)
prevented. cases, strangulation 1 (1.66%) case, in figure 4.
The present study is undertaken to Attempt has also been put to study the
evaluate the magnitude and study various socio time duration taken between death and the
etiological factors of dowry deaths in Bangalore inquest conducted in dowry deaths. In
south, and various other factors affecting the present study, maximum cases had taken time
alarming rise in incidence of dowry death. gap of 18-24 hours to hold inquest i.e. 20
Methodology: (33.33%) cases, only in 5 (8.33%) cases inquest
Autopsy cases of dowry deaths within 7 was held within 6 hours. In remaining 3 (5%)
years of married life were conducted at cases inquest was held after 30 hours, in figure
Department of Forensic Medicine, Kempegowda 5.
Institute of Medical Science Hospital and Out of 60 cases of dowry deaths, only in
Research Centre, Bangalore, during the period 4 (6.66%) cases suicide note was found in which
July 2006 to January 2008. there was strong history of victim being
All dead bodies of married women dying harassed for want of dowry. In remaining 56
within 7 years of married life, brought to (93.33%) cases suicide was not found. 93.33%
Kempegowda Institute of Medical Science cases were suicidal and 5% cases were
Hospital and Research Centre Mortuary, cases accidental and remaining 1.66% cases were
being booked under Section 176 Cr.P.C, 174 homicidal in nature.
Cr.P.C, 304(B) IPC, 498(A) IPC, where inquest Discussion and Conclusion:
is conducted by Executive Magistrate were the Unnatural deaths of married women
inclusive criteria. Death of women within 7 years amongst the total female deaths have been an
of marriage due to road traffic accidents, natural increasing trend in Indian society during the
cases and Homicide victims within 7 years of recent past years, which may be suicide,
marriage, unrelated to dowry were excluded in homicide, or even accidents. But these suicides
the study. and homicides are currently more commonly
Proforma was filled in each case regarding associated with the dowry disputes. Magnitude
the history given by relatives, Information of dowry deaths in each year of my study period
obtained during Magistrate‟s inquest and by the shows increase i.e. 17 cases in 2006, 20 cases
Investigative Officer, Post mortem findings with in 2007 and 23 cases in 2008, in comparison to
particular reference to manner of death, Anil Agnihotri study, [5] incidence being steadily
Histopathology and Chemical Analysis Reports increasing with time, indicating that stringent anti
to establish the cause of death. dowry laws remain insignificant and hence these
Results: dowry related crimes cannot be curbed with law
With reference to age of the victim, the alone, they need to be tackled by other means
dowry death occurred at any age from 18 to 45 too.
years of age. Maximum number of dowry deaths Most of the victims are aged between
occurred between 18 to 25 years of age, 36 18-25 years (60%) cases, followed by 25%
(60%) cases, and only 35-40 years of age, 1 cases in 26-30 years, 11.66% cases in 31-35
(1.66%) cases, results are shown in figure 1. years and only 1.66% case has occurred in 36-
With respect to duration of married life, 40 years of age, findings are similar to studies
maximum number of dowry death occurred by Sharma.B.R et al [11] study who report 56%
within first 3 years of marriage i.e. 44 (73.33%) of victims belong to the age group of 18-25
cases, among these 12 (20%) in first years, 24 years, and also Virendra Kumar et al, [3] Kusa
(40%) cases in 1 to 2 years and 8 (13.33%) in 2 Kumar Saha and Sachidananda Mohanty [4]
to 3 years, and only 1 (1.66%) case in 6 to 7 reported similar findings.
years of marriage, shown in Figure 2. With respect to duration of married life,
With regard to type of family, most of maximum cases were reported between 1 to 2
the brides belonged to nuclear type of family 33 years of married life i.e. 40% cases, followed by
less than 1 year in 20% cases, 13.33% cases in
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J Indian Acad Forensic Med. July-September 2011, Vol. 33, No. 3 ISSN 0971-0973
2 to 3 year of married life. Findings were similar police. This delay leads to wrong interpretation
7 11
in A.K.Srivastava . However Sharma.B.R et al of vital ante mortem changes on the body;
study reports similar findings except for a slight sometimes certain essential findings can be
increase observed in 3-5 years after marriage missed. And in my study 10% of cases police
i.e. 23.33%, probably because of problems of inquest was held because of the difficulty in
infertility of infidelity. attributing the case as dowry death or not, often
With regard to type of family, this study later the case turns to be the case of dowry
shows most cases were from nuclear family death, which should have been investigated by
55% where suicides were easily committed, and the magistrate in the beginning.
45% from joint family. This is in contrary to This finding is similar to Virendra
studies by Virendra Kumar et al, [3] Kusa Kumar Kumar3 where in 77% cases police inquest were
Saha and Sachidananda Mohanty, [4] Anil done unlike dowry death victims. 93.33% cases
Agnihotri. [5] This may be due to rapid were suicidal and 5% cases were accidental out
urbanization where families settle in urban areas of which in 3.33% case the history given was
in search of work and other issues, and more deceased caught fire while cooking which is the
often wife accompanies husband, segregating common method employed by husband and in
from joint families. laws to conceal the crime, and remaining 1.66%
Majority of dowry death victims used cases were homicidal in nature.
hanging 78.33% cases, followed by poisoning In line with already existing anti dowry
11.66% cases, burns 8.33% cases, cell-separate courts can be established at each
strangulation 1.66% case, which is in consistent district head quarters in line with already existing
with B.R.Sharma et al [9] study, and fast track courts in order to speed up the trial
Sachidananda Mohanty et al, [6] the reason and dispose dowry death cases. Certain
attributed for this is the easy availability of the amendments are to be incorporated in Dowry
ligature material and the poison. A.K.Srivastava Prohibition Act; with investigations and trial of
[7] noted that in suicidal cases, hanging was the the case being modified in the concerned I.P.C.,
commonest 29.37% cases, followed by burning CrPC and I.E.A. We feel this will definitely be
23.61% cases, and poisoning 12.59% cases, going to bring down the rate of young woman
and in homicidal cases, strangulation/throttling falling prey to dowry system in the years to
5
was the commonest 41.67%. In Anil Agnihotri come.
study it was recorded that maximum cases of
poisoning were due to aluminium phosphide, Fig1-Age of dowry death victims
and also in B.R.Sharma et al [9] study but 36-40 1
whereas in my study organo phosphorus
Age in years
insecticide was the commonest poison 31-35 7
consumed and only one case was of cyanide
poison. 26-30 15
Attempt has also been made in relation
to time duration between death and inquest 18-25 36
conducted in dowry deaths, where 33.33%
cases were done between 18-24 hours, which 0 10 20 30 40
indicates that the executive magistrate are busy
with limited time in their busy day to day no of cases
appointments, often are not available to hold an
inquest on body, leading to unnecessary delay.
Followed by 20% cases in 12-18 hours, 6-12 Fig2- Duration of married life in
hours in 11 (18.33%) cases, 24 -30 hours in 7 dowry death victims
(11.66%) cases, only in 5 (8.33%) cases inquest
was held within 6 hours. In remaining 3 (5%) 6-7year 1
duration of married life
cases inquest was held after 30 hours. This is 2
consistent with Shashidar.C.Mestri [10] who 4-5year 7
6
stress out that executive magistrate are busy 2-3year 8
with limited time in their busy day to day 24
< 1 year 12
appointments, often are not available to hold an
inquest on body, leading to unnecessary delay. 0 10 20 30
As executive magistrates don‟t get time
to completely investigate the case, in many no of cases
cases all formalities of inquest are attended by
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J Indian Acad Forensic Med. July-September 2011, Vol. 33, No. 3 ISSN 0971-0973
Figure 3-Occurence of dowry Fig5-Time duration between death
deaths in relation to type of the and inquest conducted in dowry
family deaths
3
time duration
24-30 hours 7
Nucle… 33 20
12-18 hours 12
Joint 27 11
< 6 hours 5
0 10 20 30
0 20 40
no of cases
No of cases
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