Kerala women’s panel submits draft bill to check dowry harassment, ostentatious weddings

The Kerala Women's Commission on August,10 submitted a draft Bill before the state government to check dowry harassment and ostentatious weddings. The state has recently seen a number of dowry deaths. The draft Bill, 'Prevention of extravaganza and unlimited expenditure on marriages in Kerala, 2021', was submitted, the Commission said in a release.

The Commission said the Bill was drafted to regulate ostentatious weddings which lead to serious social and economic issues including huge financial liability to the bride's family. The move comes close on the heels of the public outrage over the death of a 22-year-old woman, who was found dead at her in-laws' house at Sasthamanada, near Sasthamkotta in Kollam recently in a suspected case of death related to dowry harassment. Vismaya, a student of Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery, was found dead on June 21 after sharing pics of her abusive husband Kiran Kumar. Kiran allegedly used to harass her over dowry. The death of Vismaya was followed by a couple of similar incidents in the state.

Transport Minister Antony Raju on August 6 announced that Kiran Kumar was terminated from service of the Motor Vehicle Department per the Kerala Civil Service Rules, 1960 and that it will send a message so that no more deaths similar to Vismaya will happen.

The Women’s Commission, on July 8, had initiated a campaign to create awareness among the public against the practices of dowry in society. The women's panel had also submitted its recommendations with regard to the amendments in the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The Commission had observed that the gifts in the form of money, gold or clothes given to either of the spouses at the time of marriage is currently not considered as dowry under the Act.

 With PTI inputs