How dowry cases have become bane for Odisha

Bhubaneshwar, March 15:

Assembly on Friday witnessed furore in the wake of

charge against a minister in Chief

Naveen Patnaik's cabinet.

After the daughter-in-law of Odisha's Law and Urban Development Minister Raghunath Mohanty filed a dowry harassment case against Mohanty and his family, the minister resigned on Friday.

Mohanty submitted his resignation to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Mohanty said he resigned on "moral grounds" after the dowry case was filed by his daughter-in-law Barsha Sony Mohanty.

"I have submitted my resignation to the Chief Minister on moral grounds," Mohanty told reporters outside Naveen Nivas.

The Chief Minister in a statement informed the members that the case against Mohanty has been handed over to the Human Rights Protection Cell for investigation.

The case is just a tip of the iceberg. Women rights activists say the state has witnessed large number of dowry related cases in past few years.

In fact, violence against women is on rise in the state.

Dowry related cases in the state

There were 127 dowry related suicidal death cases during 2011 against 46 in 2010.

975 other cases of torture were registered in 2011 against 836 in the previous year and as many as 4,450 cases of other crimes against women were registered during 2011 against 1,019 in 2010.

Even Chief Minister himself has admitted the increase in total number of crimes of atrocity against women in the state. Earlier Chief Minister informed the State Assembly that while atrocity cases were 9,659 in 2011, in 2010, the number of cases stood at 8,918.

According to home department statistics, while 1,025 cases of rape were registered in the state during 2010, the number increased to 1,112 during 2012.

The chief minister said that all rape and dowry related offences are being treated as Special Report Cases and their investigation at various stages are monitored by the Crime Branch.

OneIndia News