A recent study by the women’s organisation Aweksha has revealed an alarming doubling of domestic violence incidents in Karnataka between 2015-16 and 2019-21. While Bengaluru, the state capital, is at the core of this surge, it continues to witness disappointingly low conviction rates, well below the national average, The Hindu reported.
Despite police efforts in promptly filing charge sheets, most perpetrators evade punishment. The conviction rates are startlingly poor:
- IPC 306 (abetment of suicide): 2.38%
- IPC 304B (dowry death): 6.45%
- IPC 498A (cruelty by spouse/relatives): 1.08%
- Dowry Prohibition Act: 0.73%
These figures highlight serious systemic failures in delivering justice. Over 97% of accused individuals receive bail, and nearly 73% are granted anticipatory bail, reducing the effectiveness of legal deterrence.
The report also sheds light on disturbing suicide trends: between 2017 and 2022, half of all female suicide victims in Bengaluru were housewives, many driven to despair by unchecked domestic abuse. The majority of suspects are men aged 30–45.
Due to waning faith in the justice system, survivors increasingly opt for civil remedies over criminal prosecution. However, legal aid services and mediation centres are overstretched, with one-third of cases pending and only 20% of settlements successful.
Aweksha calls for urgent reforms—including better data transparency, breakdown by demographics, and improved legal support—to confront the ongoing crisis of domestic abuse in Karnataka.