DHAKA: An Indian report says a woman dies every hour in disputes over how much her family has paid in dowry to the groom for her marriage.

The National Crime Records Bureau says more than 8,200 women were killed across India in such crimes last year, even though Indian law prohibits the centuries-old custom of giving or receiving dowries.

Women’s rights activists say dowry demands have risen with India’s economic growth, reports The Straits Times.

At the same time, thousands of Indian women are killed, often doused in petrol and burned to death, because the groom or his family felt the dowry was inadequate.

BDST: 1924 HRS, SEPT 03, 2013
RoR/GCP