CID probe into suspected dowry deaths

Home minister RR Patil has ordered a CID inquiry into cases of dowry-related deaths of women, which are passed off by parents or relatives of the victim as accident cases.

Home minister RR Patil has ordered a CID inquiry into cases of dowry-related deaths of women, which are passed off by parents or relatives of the victim as accident cases.

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Patil was replying to an issue raised by Shiv Sena legislator Neelam Gorhe on Wednesday in the legislative council, where she pointed out that such deaths were on the rise.

“Year after year, the number of women dying of burns, or falling into a well, has increased. In several cases, kerosene has been poured on these women, but the deaths are registered as accidental,” she said. “The state needs to put a mechanism in place to deal with suspicious cases.”

Patil agreed that the number of cases of women dying due to burns had gone up, revealing that they had risen from 1,896 in 2008 to 2,021 in 2011.

“At least 5% of these cases are suspected to be dowry deaths, and there should be a further investigation, to be conducted by the CID,” Patil said. HTC