Srinagar, Mar 24: The Centre on Tuesday said that cases of dowry deaths in Jammu and Kashmir remain relatively low, while ruling out any proposal to extend the legal time limit under the relevant law.
The information was provided in response to an unstarred question raised by MP Dr Byreddy Shabari in the Lok Sabha.
Replying to the query, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that as per data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 9 cases of dowry deaths were registered in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023, while 9 cases were also reported in 2022.
He said that during 2023, trials were completed in 9 cases in J&K, out of which only one resulted in a conviction, reflecting a conviction rate of around 11 per cent.
The minister further informed that the NCRB collects and publishes such data under its annual report “Crime in India,” with the latest report pertaining to 2023.
Highlighting legal provisions, he said that Section 80 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (earlier Section 304B of IPC) applies to dowry deaths occurring within seven years of marriage, while other provisions continue to address cruelty and harassment related to dowry without any time limit.
The government, however, clarified that there is no proposal under consideration to review or extend this seven-year time limit.
He added that ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects, and the responsibility of investigation and prosecution of such crimes rests with respective State governments and UT administrations, while the Centre continues to support them through advisories and capacity-building measures—(KNO)
