A woman who was into the 7th month of her pregnancy fell victim to dowry harassment in the Krishna district on Monday.
The victim was doused with kerosene and burnt alive by her husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law. According to the statements made by the locals, the woman was killed in cold blood because the husband of the victim wanted to marry a 2nd time, to a girl who would fetch him more dowry.
The parents of the victim are reported to have informed the media that their daughter was regularly harassed by her in-laws, who demanded that she pay them additional dowry.
The parents pleaded with the police to register a case against their daughter's husband and in-laws.
Theoretically, the families of Indian brides were freed from having to pay dowries to the groom in 1961, with the enactment of Sections 304B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, the dowry system prevails till date, with more than 95,000 women losing their lives to dowry harassment every year.
Andhra Pradesh ranks among the top 5 Indian states where the social evil is prevalent, with more than 10,000 cases of dowry harassment being registered every year, according to a report in 2010.
However, the victims of dowry harassment are increasingly registering complaints at police stations, thanks to escalating literacy, awareness programs and the help extended by women's organisations.