Twenty-one year old Shanti Devi was almost burnt alive for not bringing a sewing machine as dowry. “She was fortunate that her neighbors saw her being burnt alive and rescued her. But Sushma Kalwar of Murli in Birgunj- 17 was not fortunate enough,” says Tripati.[break]
Kalwar’s father Hridaya Narayan Sah of Parsana-7 filed a complaint against her husband, Ajit Kumar Kalwar for killing her for not getting enough dowry.
He is currently under detention. “Sushma would often call us informing that Ajit wanted Rs 500,000 in cash and five tolas of gold as dowry,” Sah revealed.
The day she was killed, Sushma had come back home after taking her sent-up SLC exams. Ajit is currently in police custody and the Sah family has no further information about him.
“In the past one year there have five dowry related deaths in Parsa,” said Tripathi who has been the representative of HimRights Parsa Chapter, “Many of such death are not even reported.”
Likewise, Kiran Sah of Chandranigapur in Rautahat died a mysterious death on July 17. Saying that she was killed for dowry, Kiran’s relatives have demanded that her husband’s family be brought to book.
Kiran was given Rs 210,000 and jewelry during her wedding but her husband’s family demanded additional Rs 50,000, said her brother Badri. Kiran was married to Guddu Gupta, a fruit vendor, a month-and-half ago.
According to Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) there have been 12 dowry related deaths in Rautahat from 2010 till date.
Illiteracy and impunity has given rise to such incidents, said Rajeshwor Tiwari, chairman of Community Law and Investigation Center.
“The trend of committing murder and claming it as suicide is rising,” says Tiwari, “The police too try to wrap up the case and this has encouraged people to continue to commit such crimes.”
“That second marriage would bring as much dowry is leading people to kill their wives,” says Dasai Chaudhary of Bakuliya of Bara. Chaudhari stressed that it was necessary to discontinue the custom of giving dowry to bring down dowry related deaths.
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