India, Aug. 25 -- The outrage over the death of 28-year-oldNikki Bhati in Greater Noida and the demands for swift justiceare borne outby data on such crimes available in India, with reported dowry deaths just the tip of the iceberg as far as violence married women face in their households is concerned.

According to the 2022 (latest available) data from Home Ministry's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 6,516 women died on account of dowry deaths (Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code) in India. This is more than 25 times the number of women who were killed after a rape or gang rape in the country that year.

The number of dowry deaths also puts into context the extent of under-reporting under the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961. The 2022...