Fresh National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data has once again highlighted the continuing crisis of dowry-related violence in India. Despite decades of legal restrictions and awareness campaigns, thousands of women continue to die every year in cases linked to dowry harassment and domestic abuse.
According to the latest NCRB figures released on May 6, 2026, India recorded 5,737 dowry deaths in 2024. The data translates to nearly 16 women dying every day under circumstances linked to dowry demands, cruelty, or suspicious deaths after marriage.
Delhi records the highest dowry deaths among metro cities
Delhi topped the list of metropolitan cities in dowry death cases for the fifth consecutive year. NCRB data showed that the national capital registered 109 dowry death cases in 2024, resulting in 111 deaths, as per News18.
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The NCRB report also noted that Delhi continued to rank high in crimes against women across multiple categories, including rape, kidnapping, and cruelty by husbands or relatives. A total of 4,647 cases of cruelty by husbands or relatives were reported in the city during 2024.
Kanpur ranked second among metropolitan cities in dowry death cases with 54 incidents, while Patna reported 30 such cases.
Recent cases bring renewed attention to dowry violence
The issue has returned to national focus after several recent cases triggered public outrage. One such case involved Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old woman from Noida who was found dead at her husband’s house in Bhopal earlier this month.
WhatsApp messages reportedly sent by Twisha to her mother drew widespread attention online. In one message, she wrote, “Mujhe bahut zyada ghutan ho rahi hai maa", according to News18.
Another case from Greater Noida involved 24-year-old Deepika Nagar, who allegedly died after falling from the roof of her in-laws’ house just 18 months after marriage. Her family accused the in-laws of continued harassment despite spending nearly Rs 1 crore on the wedding.
Police said the husband and father-in-law were arrested in connection with the case.
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Laws remain in place, but concerns continue
Under Section 80 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (earlier Section 304B of the IPC), a dowry death is registered when a woman dies under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage, and there is evidence of dowry-related harassment shortly before her death.
Although anti-dowry laws have existed for decades, the NCRB figures continue to underline the scale of the problem and the persistence of dowry-related abuse in several parts of the country.
