Dowry: what the data says and what it doesn’t

Last week, a Bench of the Supreme Court instructed the country’s police to not make automatic arrests in dowry harassment cases without first ascertaining viability. “The fact that Section 498-A is a cognizable and non-bailable offence has lent it a dubious place of pride amongst the provisions that are used as weapons rather than shield by disgruntled wives. The simplest way to harass is to...