PUCL Bulletin, March 2002

Dowry death in Karnataka
Translated from Kannada by Hasan Mansur, President, PUCL Karnataka.

The National PUCL received a complaint from Shri Abdulnabi from Doranhallai village of Gulbarga district in Karnataka. His sister and two other cousins were married to three brothers of the same family. The two cousins, because of mental and physical torture and demands for more dowries, came back to their parent's house. Abdulnabi's sister was allegedly murdered for failing to bring sufficient dowry on February 26th at her husband's house at Maragur village Thana Zalki police Station limit in Bijapur district.

It was alleged by Shri Abdulnabi, who visited the PUCL office personally, that the police had not handled the case properly and seemed to be in league with the accused. The Karnataka State PUCL was requested by the National General Secretary to investigate into the matter. The State branch sent the following report:

Members of Fact-Finding Team (FFT): 1. T. S. Pathan, 2. Peter Alexander, 3. Dastagir Devaragolu 4. Nurjehan Masooma Saba, 5. Amina Saba Yakkundi.
Evidence from Deputy Commissioner, Bijapur: representative from National Women Commission, Delhi visited Bijapur to inquire into the death of Ms. Rasoolabi and the correspondence between the two offices were shown to the FFT and the DC told them that the investigation is being done by the Corps of Detectives (COD) and nothing more can be done here. Request for copies of these documents was declined.

Information from Zalki police Station: The Assistant Sub-Inspector was not available but the Head Constable provided information of Rasoolabi death, the case filed and accused 5 and 6 were jailed but now that they are out on bail. Zalki ASI later told the FFT, Shri G. B. Kavachekar, that the lady's death was owing to harassment for dowry, how she fed poison. Request for post-mortem report was evaded, stating this is with the COD in Bangalore and the Crime section could be contacted for details. Maragur village, Indi Taluk: Information was gathered from the village, that Rasoolabi's body was lying in the house for 3 days and owing to foul smell, it was taken out for post-mortem. On 27-2-2001, Kabira and his parents were arrested but were leleased on bail. Kabira was not in the village at the time of the visit of the FFT. Villagers told the FFT how two blood relations of Rasoolabi were married into the Saudagar family but both wives left their husbands owing to dowry harassment. People, FFT met alleged that the Saudagar family had heavily bribed the police to cover up the case. FFT felt more information would be available with COD and the Crime Branch in Bangalore. (Sd.) T. S. Pathan.

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