Twenty women are killed by dowry sharks every day in India. Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 35,493 dowry deaths took place in India as per the Union Home Ministry’s reply to Parliament on Wednesday, citing National Crime Records Bureau data.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number (11,874) dowry deaths during the five years followed by Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and Rajasthan. UP and Bihar together accounted for nearly half (48 per cent) of the total dowry deaths in the country.

As many as 5,354 women are killed for dowry in Bihar with above 1,000 deaths every year during 2017-2021. Uttar Pradesh’s average death count is 2,375 per year. Madhya Pradesh witnessed 2,859 dowry deaths in five years, followed by West Bengal 2,389 deaths and Rajasthan 2244 deaths.

As per the written reply given by MoS Home Ajay Kumar Mishra “Teni” to Congress MP KC Venugopal, as many as 1,653 dowry deaths took place in Odisha, followed by Haryana 1,235 deaths. During 2017 to 2021, 998 women were killed in Maharashtra and 934 in Karnataka. Telangana reported 933 dowry deaths during this period while as many as 623 women were killed in Andhra Pradesh.

In Assam, 847 dowry deaths happened during this period. As many as 336 women were killed in Punjab, followed by Uttarakhand 317 deaths in five years. Delhi witnessed 639 dowry deaths in five years. States like Gujarat, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, and Manipur reported 0 to 50 cases per year from 2017 to 2021.

The unabated practice of dowry continues despite the anti-dowry law passed way back in 1961. The Dowry Prohibition Act prohibits the practice of accepting and giving dowry. But the law is seen as “toothless” because it provides for imprisonment of up to six months or fine which may extend to `5,000, or both. In case of dowry related death, CrPC provides for minimum of seven years of imprisonment and maximum life term”.