Outrage In Kerala After Three Women Took Their Lives In Two Days Over Dowry-Related Harassment

According to the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, both taking and giving dowry is a punishable crime, so it is not mentioned by that name but is referred to as a 'gift'.

Even then it still falls under the definition of dowry - any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given either directly or indirectly by one party to a marriage to the other party.

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Irrespective of what it is called, dowry has been making the lives of many married women miserable for a long time.

The spotlight is back on the dowry system after a series of deaths in Kerala this week.

At least three deaths have been reported from Kerala in two days over alleged dowry harassment.

First, it was Vismaya, a final year BAMS student from Kollam, who died of suicide on Sunday night in her in-laws' house in Kollam.

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Vismaya's parents had alleged that they had given 100 sovereigns of gold, more than an acre of land and a Toyota Yaris car, as 'gifts' at the time of her wedding last year.

But, problems started when her husband, Kiran Kumar who used to work as an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector felt that the car was not up to his status.

Kumar allegedly used to abuse Vismaya both physically and mentally over the issue and on Sunday night after a fight with her husband, she killed herself.

The second was a woman named Archana, a resident of Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram.

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The 24-year-old died on Tuesday after she was set ablaze, allegedly by her husband Suresh.

The couple had married in 2020 and soon after Suresh had started torturing Archana demanding more dowry.

On Monday Suresh came to Archana's house to take her back to his house. When he reached there Suresh had a bottle of diesel with him, which he claimed was to control termites. Archana was set on fire with the same bottle of diesel.

On Tuesday there was another related incident in Alappuzha, where a 19-year-old was found dead in her in-laws' house.

The victim, identified as Suchithra had married Vishnu, a soldier on March 21 and her husband had gone back to Uttrakhand where he was posted.

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Suchithra's family alleged that she was forced to take the extreme step over dowry harassment.

Dowry has been a major concern in Kerala, irrespective of communities and educational background.

Last year there was another shocking dowry-related murder in Kerala, where a woman died of a snake bite, which turned out to be a well-planned murder by her husband.

25-year-old Uthra died in May 2020 after she was allegedly bitten by a snake in her bedroom which was on the first floor of the house.

This was the second time she was bitten by a poisonous snake in two months, inside the house.

As doubts began growing the suspicion fell on her husband Sooraj, who at the time of their wedding was gifted a big fat amount, a lot of gold and a car.

Uthra and Sooraj

But Sooraj who was not satisfied with what he got used to torture Uthra for more, which the family kept on giving him.

However after Uthra's family started talking about ending the marriage, Sooraj who feared that he will have to return all the wealth bought two poisonous snakes from a local snack catcher and left them on his wife while she was asleep.

Last month Malayalam actor Unni Dev was arrested after his wife Priyanka dies of suicide.

Priyanka's family had alleged that both Dev and his mother used to abuse her physically and mentally over dowry.

Amid the rising number of cowry harassment cases in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced that henceforth an online complaint registration portal named 'Aparajitha' will resolve cyber crimes against women and complaints on offences against women including domestic abuse also can be submitted there.

He further informed that a nodal officer has been assigned to investigate and resolve complaints regarding dowry.