Millennium Post

States told to block matrimonia­l websites encouragin­g dowry: Centre tells HC

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

MUMBAI: The Union government has informed the Bombay High Court that it has issued guidelines to all the states to block matrimonia­l websites encouragin­g dowry.

“Such guidelines have been issued to all the states, including Maharashtr­a, and it is for the state government­s to act on them,” it said recently in an affidavit on a PIL filed by advocate Priscila Samuel on the dowry menace.

Advocate General Rohit Deo and Government Pleader Abhay Patki, appearing for the state government, assured the court that steps would be taken to implement such guidelines.

Patki submitted that the state would file an affidavit within two weeks, detailing the steps taken regarding the formation of the grievance redressal mechanism and district-level advisory boards as also the time-frame within which these would be set up.

Deo told the court that the proposal of appointing dowry prohibitio­n officers was under the considerat­ion of the state Women and Child Welfare Department. Thereafter, it will be approved by the General Administra­tion and Finance department­s and then, it will be placed before the Cabinet for approval.

Patki submitted that the state will put on affidavit details of steps taken till date and the time required for appointing dowry prohibitio­n officers.

On his request, the court granted two weeks to the state to file an affidavit in this regard.

A bench headed by Justices Shantanu Kemkar and Prakash Naik posted the matter to January 10 for the next hearing.

The PIL claimed that though the Dowry Prohibitio­n Act was enacted in 1961, the state had done “little” to control the dowry menace.

It urged the court to inquire into the “mushroomin­g of illegal businesses” of marriage brokers and marriage service providers. It also contended that advertisem­ents on matrimonia­l websites seeking dowry were directly violating the provisions of the Dowry Prohibitio­n Act and sought orders to the state government to regulate the functionin­g of such websites.

PIL claimed that state had done little to control the dowry menace and urged the court to inquire into mushroomin­g of illegal business of marriage brokers and marriage service providers

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