Lawyers for Dowry Harassment in Gurgaon

Fight Dowry Harassment with Gurgaon's Leading Divorce Lawyers

Dowry harassment is a form of abuse and torture meted out to women in India, primarily in societies where dowry customs exist. It involves the act of subjecting a married woman to cruelty, harassment, and torture by her husband or his family members, often to obtain more money or goods from the wife's family. Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is a criminal law that aims to protect women from such cruelty. Dowry harassment is a malevolent practice that continues in some families to mar Indian society despite the implementation of the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961). Dowry harassment is the act of torturing a wife for money, property, or other valuable assets by a husband or his family and relatives. It is a punishable offense under the law but still practiced in many rural areas of India. The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 prohibits the request, payment, or acceptance of a dowry, "as consideration for the marriage," where "dowry" is defined as a gift demanded or given as a precondition for a marriage. Gifts given without a precondition are not considered dowry and are legal. Dowry harassment can lead to dowry-related violence, including physical violence, emotional abuses, and even murder of brides and young girls prior to marriage. The predominant types of dowry crimes relate to cruelty (which includes torture and harassment), domestic violence (including physical, emotional, and sexual assault), abetment to suicide, and dowry death (including issues of bride burning and murder). The Dowry Prohibition Act was modified in 1984 and 1986 to mandate harsher punishments for the acts of giving, taking, or asking for dowry.