A Five Year Retrospective Study on Autopsied Cases of Crime against Women {U/S 304[B], 498[A] & 306 IPC} at BIMS, Belagavi

Centuries have come and centuries have gone, but the plight of women is not likely to change. Cruelty against women has been age-old phenomenon, where women have been subjected to brutality and inexplicable exploitation for one reason or the other. Under this cruelty against women, one of the most heinous and burning issue is the Dowry Death. By virtue of this pathetic plight, she has been enduring cruelty meted out to her at the hands of her husband and his relatives. Present study provides the statistical analysis of deaths relating to cruelty against women in autopsied cases booked under Sec. 498(A), 304(B), 302 & 306 of IPC during 2010–2014 at Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences(BIMS), Belagavi. During five year retrospective study, total number of 3878 cases was autopsied at BIMS out of which 80 cases (10.3%) were booked under above mentioned sections of IPC. Out of 80 cases 39 deaths (48%) were due to burns, 22 (27.5%) due to hanging, 15 (18%) due to poison and 4 deaths belong to other category (1 each due to fall from height & drowning and 2 cases are of advanced decomposition).