India, May 30 -- The recent deaths of several young women under suspicious circumstances in the homes of their in-laws, seemingly motivated by dowry demands, show that despite stringent laws, awareness campaigns, women's empowerment and education, the needle has not moved very much on eliminating this menace.

Take, for instance, the Twisha Sharma case. Sharma's mother-in-law, who spoke disparagingly of Sharma following her death, is a retired judge. Thus, questions are being raised about key institutions likely influencing the investigation into Sharma's death - from alleged mishandling of evidence by the police and discrepancies in the FIR to the delay in finding and arresting the husband - weakening public faith in the impartiality of ...