About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

19 Conn. J. Int'l L. 209 (2003-2004)
Rights under Fire: The Inadequacy of International Human Rights Instruments in Combating Dowry Murder in India

handle is hein.journals/conjil19 and id is 217 raw text is: RIGHTS UNDER FIRE: THE INADEQUACY OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS IN COMBATING DOWRY MURDER IN INDIA Meghana Shah* I. INTRODUCTION When Sunita Vir married in 1991, her father, Kalam Singh, spent over $5,000 on her dowry, which consisted of cash, steel trunks, cupboards, a sewing machine, kitchen utensils, and most importantly, a black-and-white television set, a most coveted possession among India's lower-middle class families.' Still, the elaborate dowry was not enough for Sunita's new in-laws.' Less than two weeks after the marriage, Sunita's husband and in-laws began demanding more dowry from Sunita's family, specifically in the form of a new refrigerator. Sunita's parents could not provide the additional goods, having already acquired a large amount of debt to supply the original dowry With two other daughters to marry, they could do no more. Sunita's in-laws began beating her for her failure to secure the requested goods.' In 1993, less than two years after her marriage, Sunita's father- in-law and brother-in-law held her down on a cot, while her husband doused her with kerosene and set her alight.' Sunita died in the hospital, but not before making a dying declaration accusing her in-laws of murder.' In Sunita's case, the Virs were sentenced to life imprisonment.' This successful sentencing is a rarity in India, where perpetrators of dowry violence frequently go unpunished.' * J.D. expected, University of Connecticut School of Law, 2004; B.A., McGill University, 2000. 1 am grateful for the guidance of Professor Laura Dickinson and the diligent efforts of the entire Connecticut Journal of International Law staff that made this publication possible. I thank my parents Dr. Dilip and Mrs. Bharti D. Shah, and my sister Shreya, for their unwavering support. I acknowledge the valuable insights of Hiam Abbas and Mohini Datta-Ray. This note is dedicated fondly to Indian women everywhere. 1. Anita Pratap, Killed by Greed and Oppression, TIME MAGAZINE, Sept. II, 1995, Vol. 146, No. II, available at http:/Iwww.time.com/time/internationall1995/95091 lwomen.in dia.html (last visited Sept. 20, 2003). 2. Id. 3. Id. 4. Id. 5. Id. 6. Id. 7. Id. 8. Manjaree Chowdhary, Miles to Go: An Assessment of the Enforcement Hurdles in the Implementation of the Anti-Dowry Law in India, in SOUTH ASIANS AND THE DOWRY PROBLEM 151, 151 (Werner Menski ed., 1998); see also Debasree Banerjee, Dowry Verdict: Half-Step Forward, THE HINDUSTAN TIMES, Aug. II, 1996, at 2.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most