The Supreme Court passed a slew of directions in the case of State Of U.P. V. Ajmal Beg to tackle dowry evil & enforce prohibition through the Dowry Prohibition Act (DPA).

Directions of Supreme Court

• Appointment of Dowry Prohibition Officers (DPOs): Provide them necessary resources and disseminate DPO contact details.
  • DPOs are government officials appointed by State Governments under India's Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
• Expeditious Disposal of Pending Cases: High Courts are requested to take stock of the number of cases dealing with Section 304-B (dowry death) and Section 498-A (cruelty) of IPC for disposal.
• Training for Officials: Police and judicial officers should periodically receive training ensuring sensitivity toward genuine cases while identifying those that may be frivolous.
• Other: Running of Grassroots Awareness Programs by district administration, change in education curriculum for awareness about this evil practice etc.

Dowry in India

• Definition: As per the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, dowry is “any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given either directly or indirectly, by one party to a marriage to the other party to the marriage, at or before or any time after the marriage”. 
• Cases registered under dowryrelated crimes:  Saw a 14% increase in 2023, with more than 15,000 cases recorded across the country and over 6,100 deaths reported through the year (NCRB).