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New NCRB data highlights persistent dowry violence in capital.
Delhi recorded the highest number of dowry deaths among all metropolitan cities in India for the fifth consecutive year, according to the latest “Crime in India 2024” report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The findings have once again drawn attention to the persistence of dowry-related violence despite decades of legal prohibition and awareness campaigns.
According to the NCRB report, Delhi registered 109 cases of dowry deaths in 2024, resulting in the deaths of 111 women.
The national capital also reported a dowry death rate of 1.4 per lakh population, among the highest recorded in major Indian cities. The figures highlight the continuing vulnerability of women within domestic spaces, particularly in cases linked to harassment over dowry demands.
Dowry death cases are now registered under Section 80 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the Indian Penal Code in July 2024. The provision applies when a woman dies under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage and has been subjected to cruelty or harassment in connection with dowry demands. Although the Dowry Prohibition Act has remained in force since 1961, activists and legal experts argue that weak enforcement and deeply rooted social customs continue to sustain the practice.
The NCRB data also showed that Bengaluru recorded the highest number of cases filed under the Dowry Prohibition Act among metropolitan cities. At the national level, Uttar Pradesh continued to account for the largest number of dowry deaths among states.
Women’s rights organisations have expressed concern over the latest figures, stating that the statistics reflect not only violence against women but also the continuing social acceptance of dowry practices.
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