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India's Supreme Court says dowry killers should be hanged
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by Suranee | June 1, 2009 at 06:27 am
411 views | 20 Recommendations | 13 comments
Markandeya Katju and Deepak Verma of India's Supreme Court spoke against dowry killings by saying those responsible for killing a woman over her dowry should be hanged.
NEW DELHI - INDIA'S Supreme Court observed on Monday that anyone convicted of killing a woman over her dowry deserved to hang.
'In India hundreds of innocent women are being burnt to death,' the court said in a bail hearing for Mahender Kumar Gulati, a man convicted of killing his wife.
'It is an uncivilised act. How can we do it? We should hang such persons,' Justices Markandeya Katju and Deepak Verma said in a written observation quoted by the Press Trust of India.
The court passed the observation while refusing to grant bail to Mahender Kumar Gulati, a convict in a bride burning case.
The apex court passed the observation while refusing to grant bail to Mahender Kumar Gulati, a convict in a bride burning case.
A person found guilty of dowry killing can get seven years to life in prison.
Women's rights groups say an average of 7,000 cases of dowry deaths occur a year in India.
According to women's rights groups, there are an average of 7,000 cases of dowry deaths a year in India.
Under Indian law, if a woman dies of 'burns or bodily injury' in abnormal circumstances within seven years of her marriage and is proved to have been harassed for a dowry, the case is deemed a 'dowry death.'
At present, those convicted of killing women under such circumstances face a sentence ranging from seven years to life in prison. -- AFP
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (13)
at 08:23 on June 1st, 2009
Even though I am against the death penalty, I can see why the courts in India are taking such severe steps. 7000 killing per annum over a woman's dowry is some what alarming. That would equate to about 0.6% of it population getting killed every year.
at 18:49 on June 1st, 2009
It is quite alarming Paschen but I don't know if hanging the person would do much good in eradicating dowry killings. The mindset of a person has to change and only then do I believe that such incidents like this will be done away with.
Even here in my country certain families expect a dowry from the bride's family but fortunately I have not heard of a bride being killed for not being able to give a dowry. Humiliated yes, but never killed.
at 19:00 on June 1st, 2009
Instead of killing , how about converting all those killers to Christianity? That will solve the problem.
at 12:50 on June 1st, 2009
Good for India.
at 18:52 on June 1st, 2009
India seems to be taking this seriously. But I'm not sure if hanging the culprits will do any good since people have to change their way of thinking. That's kind of hard to do when so many people feel it is the duty of the bride to give a dowry. This practice has been going on for so many years. Hopefully it will stop.
at 13:18 on June 1st, 2009
First have the murderers family pay back the dowry. Then hang him. I would think the practise would be extinct within 5 years.
at 18:56 on June 1st, 2009
Paying back the dowry sounds good. But it remains to be seen if hanging those convicted of dowry killings will stop the practice altogether.
at 13:03 on June 2nd, 2009
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it would certainly prevent that piece of garbage from doing it again. And it might bring some sense of justice and closure for the family of the murdered young bride. Jeez, as a father I might even offer my services and come to India free of charge to fasten the noose...
at 19:30 on June 1st, 2009
I think killing the guy is the best option for him. Because a guy takes a dowry has already sold himself off for money. Since he belongs to the bride's family, he is not a free person anymore.
My opinion may sound dark, but imagine the situation from the side of the women. Especially since India still remains to be mainly a patriarchal society.
.Agent.
at 19:39 on June 1st, 2009
You do make a valid point Agent :)
at 15:47 on June 2nd, 2009
It might prove a huge deterrent.
at 22:46 on June 2nd, 2009
The MINIMUM sentense and not the MAXIMUM sentence should be death penalty.
Dowry Death is same as Murder For Gain, but more. The man pleasures his wife, screws and then demands money. His Mother/Father/Family (the pimps) is also involved in the crimes most of the time. They cause death to a human being by burning them alive. It pains to even put a finger in the candle, but these pimps enjoy seeing the unfortunate woman burn to death in agony, and then shameless tell the court it is case of suicide.
This crimes is THOUSANDS of times henious than murder for Gain.
The crimes deserves the minimum sentence of hanging to death. Minimum sentence does not include the jail term. It should be imprisonment leading to the death penalty.
Unfortunately, in India the so-called Women's organizations are against hanging the pimps for their personal benifit.
Today's questioning by the court asking "why not death penalty for bride burners" should really be implemented.
at 22:52 on June 2nd, 2009
In Singapore, crime rate is VERY VERY low. India on other hand is WORLD CRIME CAPITAL.
Singapore, death penalty is COMPULSORY for all murders.
Dowry death in Singapore would ensure gallows, but before that undergoing jail term. Singapore death penalty is better than Japan's Randomized death penalty, where death row inmates will not know their date of death - until 5 minutes before they are pulled out for their death.
If Singapore's "death row" system may not be sufficient for India "Dowry Death" murderers' Japan's randomized death row system would be most appropriate.