The deaths of four newlywed young women reported within a week have shocked the nation and reminded us of the malignant presence of dowry despite decades of lawmaking against it. The deaths of Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12, and Deepika Nagar, a 25-year-old who allegedly jumped off the roof of her home in Greater Noida on May 17, have forced us to look within. For, in both the cases, the victims had repeatedly related the distress in their marriages and alleged dowry harassment to their parents and loved ones while desperately calling for help. The death of 21-year-old Palak Rajak, too, was reported in Gwalior on May 19 within an hour of a distress call to her father. The same day, 24-year-old Aishwarya’s death by suicide was reported from Karnataka's Bellary district—after complaints of harassment by in-laws regarding dowry.
The four cases are not just a tragic coincidence—they are part of an uneradicated malady that haunts India. The National Crime Records Bureau recently published that, on average, nearly 16 women died every single day of 2024 from dowry harassment, domestic abuse or suspicious marital conditions.
In the four recent cases, registration of police complaints has set the wheels of the criminal justice system in motion. But it would be a travesty if we continue to look for answers only in the legal system. We must also consider, discuss and demonstrably reject the patriarchy that manipulates and pushes women to make incompatible marriages work, and then looks the other way when they move towards taking an extreme step. We must examine the role and response of families, who often advise their troubled daughters or sisters to comply with regressive social conventions out of a fear of stigma and ostracisation.
Collective social responsibility—with sensitivity and timely, proactive response to calls of distress shown by families and friends—can be far more effective than any deterrence promised through the penal system or distant helplines. While the latter framework is reactive, the former can support, save and heal. There are laws enough to punish the guilty. What we need as a nation is a healthy social restructuring of mindset and accountability. We must close the faultlines within.
