As many as 13,479 cases were registered in 2022 under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data that was released on Monday, December 4. At the same time, 6,450 dowry deaths were registered in 2022. While there has been a marginal decline in the number of dowry deaths and cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, the figures are still cause for concern. 

There has been a 4.5% decline in the number of dowry deaths in 2022 and 0.6% decline in the number of cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The highest number of dowry deaths in 2022 happened in Uttar Pradesh with 2,218 incidents, followed by Bihar (1,057) and Madhya Pradesh (518). 

Uttar Pradesh was leading in the number of cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 as well with 4,807 incidents. The second highest number of cases registered was in Bihar (3,580) followed by Karnataka (2,224). 

The total number of dowry deaths in the southern states amounted to 442 with Karnataka in the lead (167), followed by Telangana (137), Tamil Nadu (29) and Kerala (11). Meanwhile, the total number of cases from the southern states registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 are 2,776. Karnataka had the highest number of incidents with 2,224 followed by Andhra Pradesh (298), Tamil Nadu (220), Kerala (28) and Telangana (6). 

According to the NCRB data, 359 dowry deaths were closed as there was insufficient evidence despite the complaints being true. Meanwhile, five deaths were transferred to a different agency or a state 4,148 cases were chargesheeted during the year. 

It is to be noted that the NCRB report underlines that the data record the incidence of registered crime, not the actual occurrence of crime.