Delhi Woman's Dowry Death: The Need for Police Sensitisation Is Now

Could the Delhi Police have prevented 27-year-old Arti Gupta's death by suicide over dowry harassment allegations?

Could the Delhi Police have prevented 27-year-old Arti Gupta's death by suicide in Govindpuri area on 25 September?

(Photo: The Quint)

Could the Delhi Police have prevented 27-year-old Arti Gupta's death by suicide in Govindpuri area on 25 September, over allegations of harassment over dowry and cruelty:

• If they had sent her to a shelter home for counselling?

• If they had called her family instead?

• If they had simply delayed her from going back to her house?

Women's rights activists, including those who counsel women in distress, and run shelter homes, point that the many 'ifs' in the case is a stark reflection of the urgent need to "sensitise police officers on ground" – in order to to "fix the gaps in their handling of dowry harassment, and domestic violence cases"; in order to prevent deaths of many other Arti Guptas.

What Happened in The Police Station?

Hours before she died by suicide in her house, Arti approached the local police station, and according to their statement, alleged that her husband had "left home, and blocked her number."

DCP Esha Pandey told The Quint they made a call to her husband Anupam Gupta who said that he “willingly left home and did not want to stay with his wife anymore.” The DCP also said that Arti “refused to file a complaint and was dropped home by the lady constable.”

The next day at 2 pm, the cops received a call about Arti’s dead body being found in her room, and along with it a video of her alleging harassment over dowry and cruelty.

Speaking to The Quint, her brother Vineet Kumar Varshney said:

“If the police had intervened properly that night, taken her seriously, and if they had not let her return home, my sister would have been alive today.”

We will never know what transpired in the police station, but activists agree that the cops should have taken the extra step.

'Cops Should Have Called Counsellors': DCW Counsellor

There is no written rule that the cops should call a shelter home if a woman in distress reaches out to them. However, the cops usually know the people working along these lines, and could have made a call, explains a Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) counsellor who did not want to be named.

"There are countless cases like this that the police station handles, so when a woman who is shaken approaches them, they could have called any counsellor that they know in the local area. In this case, since the woman reached out to them around 10 pm, they could have at least kept her in the police station. This call would have been taken if the cops are trained to be more sensitive towards victims," the counsellor told The Quint.

"On paper, it looks like they have followed the protocol. A woman constable was assigned, she investigated, and also dropped her back home. They cannot do beyond this when no formal complaint is filed. But would sensitisation have made them pause and think of other approaches?" the counsellor asked.

Should Watch Out For Signs Of Distress, Not Stress On Compromise

Dr Nancy Pathak, an assistant professor at Delhi University and a gender rights activist, told The Quint:

“Most of the police officers are not trained to handle sensitive cases such as domestic violence or dowry harassment. They not only instill patriarchal ideas but also ask survivors to ‘compromise’ or solve the matter internally,” said Dr Pathak.

The DCW counsellor added that "a little bit of trust" from the cops would have made the 27-year-old more comfortable.

"The first words all women in distress want to hear is: We are there with you, and you don't have to fight this alone. It is not hassling them into filing a complaint," the counsellor added.

"Sometimes, the first thing you hear is this could be a false case. Even among women cops, the instinct is to say that it will soon be alright, go home. This core belief should change. The government is responsible for answering this question, because this is the first step in fixing the gap from the police's end," Sunil Kumar Aleida, who runs the NGO Centre for Holistic Development, which works for the empowerment of homeless children and women in distress, said.

So what is it that counsellors suggest that cops do when a woman in distress approaches them, but does not want to file a complaint?

• In many cases, the woman would want the cops to reach the house of the in-laws, husband, to let them know that she will approach the cops – this works in some cases. In such instances, the officer/constable on this case, could make the effort to follow up.

• Secondly, know the local counsellors – be it counselors of the women's commission, or activists who work in your area. They can help in cases where the survivor is not willing to file a formal complaint – and it is beyond their purview. In cases like Arti's.

• Have an overview about legal rights available to the women in distress – if nothing, just to assure them.

• Lastly, and most importantly, take note of all details – whether the women want to file a complaint or not, because in most cases, cops are the first responders to domestic violence.

There's one positive sign though – the number of cases being filed in police station.

According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, released on 29 August, India saw a total of 4,28,278 instances of crimes against women in 2021 – a 15 percent increase from the previous year. Of these, 'cruelty by husband' saw the most number of cases – makes almost 32 percent of the total cases reported.

While the increase in cases is alarming, it is not always a 'bad sign,' Sonali Shekhar, an advocate who works with survivors of physical and sexual abuse, had told The Quint earlier.

"For every FIR related to crimes against women, there are at least 10 that are not reported. Data shows that the number of these crimes have increased over the years, but the reporting hasn't significantly increased. So, if the reporting increases, it does not mean that the crime has increased, too. In fact, it is a good sign, rise in reporting implies awareness and more importantly, faith of the people in the judicial system."

Cannot Dismiss Role Of Civil Society

In a 32-second video, accessed by The Quint, Arti alleged, “My life is finished. This man has left me alone at home. These people are beating me up badly over dowry. Anupam has ruined my life, he is responsible for this. I am dying because of him. He beat me up a lot…”

Cops claimed that the video was shot on the same day of Arti's death. Speaking to The Quint, her brother Vineet, who hails from Aligarh, said:

“A few days before my mother passed away, she told us that Arti had removed her clothes and shown her all the bruises. She had confided in our mother that Anupam used to beat her sometimes with bare hands, sometimes with a belt. And sometimes, he would try to suffocate her with a pillow.”

Why did none of her neighbors alert the police or simply call 112 helpline for women in distress, asked Aleida, speaking to The Quint.

"We are always asking for awareness of women, asking them to know their rights. But what are we doing as a collective society? Why did no one call the cops when a person was physically being abused? Why is the first instinct not to get involved? This is something that needs introspection as well. Yes, the cops could have gone one-step ahead, but why not civil society?"

Sunil Kumar Aleida