Bengaluru dowry deaths dip by 67%, but conviction is just 2%

Between 2011 and 2024, only 13 out of the 610 reported cases have ended in conviction. A substantial 409 cases (67%) are at the trial stage in different Bengaluru courts, and the accused in 135 cases (22.1%) have been proven innocent in the same period.

Bengaluru has seen a 66.6 per cent dip in dowry death cases, from 60 reported in 2011 to 20 in 2024. However, the families of victims are still toiling for justice as only a meagre 2.1 per cent of the total cases registered in the same period have resulted in conviction, data shows.

Between 2011 and 2024, only 13 out of the 610 reported cases have ended in conviction. A substantial 409 cases (67 per cent) are at the trial stage in different Bengaluru courts, and the accused in 135 cases (22.1 per cent) have been proven innocent in the same period. The rest of the cases are under investigation or closed as false reporting.

The data pertains to cases booked under IPC Section 304(B), which deals with dowry death and attracts at least seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

A deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Bengaluru attributed the fall in cases to the society transforming and its belief in the “concept of divorce”.

“Education and women’s empowerment, coupled with the divorce concept becoming less taboo, have contributed to a fall in the dowry death numbers to an extent,” another DCP said.

On the other hand, the low conviction rate has remained a perpetual concern.

A senior woman police officer who has overseen several dowry death investigations emphasised cases falling flat because of witnesses turning hostile in courts.

“In plenty of cases, the accused and victim’s family reach a compromise among themselves during the trial stage, turning hostile before the magistrate, putting an end to the case,” she said.

As the trial drags on, investigators get transferred and barely make an effort to retain the witnesses who could potentially turn hostile.

“Proving dowry deaths is a herculean task as it relies majorly on witness statements in the absence of technical evidence. Therefore, in these cases, investigators have an extra burden of retaining the witnesses named in the charge sheet, which may or may not happen,” said the officer.

Speaking to DH, Rupa Hassan, a writer and activist, emphasised that in general, all cases related to women have a lower conviction rate.

“For sensitive cases like rape and dowry deaths, we need more fast-track courts in the state because these cases are time-sensitive. By the time these cases reach the trial stage, the victims’ families will be tired and give up,” Rupa said.

In August, DH reported that the conviction rate in rape cases reported in Bengaluru between 2013 and 2023 stood at an abysmal 0.76 per cent.

According to Rupa, prosecutors appointed by the legal service authority are paid less/irregularly, and also the burden of cases is high. Therefore it is very likely that they grow disinterested in dealing with such long-trial cases.

She called for incentivising prosecutors with on-time payments and payment hikes.