Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 9: In a striking statement during a Maharashtra Assembly session on Monday, Junior Home Minister Pankaj Bhoyar asserted that “99% of marriages in our society are conducted without dowry,” countering concerns raised by women legislators about the persistence of dowry-related harassment and deaths.

The comments came in response to MLA Jyoti Gaikwad, who highlighted multiple instances of dowry harassment and suicides. She cited a particularly alarming case of a woman engineer who allegedly took her own life after facing repeated harassment from her mother-in-law, a local sarpanch.

Bhoyar acknowledged that while cases of dowry harassment and deaths still occur, their numbers have been declining in the state. He also stressed the need for greater public awareness to combat the problem effectively.

According to official statistics presented by the minister, the number of dowry-related cases and arrests in Maharashtra over the past five years are as follows:

• 2021: 172 cases, 534 arrests
• 2022: 180 cases, 515 arrests
• 2023: 170 cases, 381 arrests
• 2024: 139 cases, 234 arrests
• 2025: 138 cases, 313 arrests

While Bhoyar’s remarks highlighted a downward trend, women MLAs in the assembly emphasized that continued vigilance and awareness campaigns remain crucial to address dowry harassment in the state.