UP Dowry Horror: Man Allegedly Hangs Down His 8-Month-Old Son Upside Down Over Dowry Dispute With Wife

A man Sanju from the Rampur village in Uttar Pradesh allegedly paraded his eight-month-old son hanging upside down over a dowry dispute with his wife. A video of the incident had surfaced on July 19, 2025, which sparked online outrage Due to this video, the police had taken cognisance of the viral clip, launched an investigation and booked the man for disturbing peace. Due to this action by the father, the baby boy has suffered a dislocated help and is undergoing treatment. 

Sanju paraded his son to get more dowry from wife

A Times of India report mentions that Sanju paraded his son upside down to pressure his wife’s family into giving him Rs 2 lakh and a car in dowry. The report further mentions that during a family meeting, he snatched the baby from his wife and began swinging him in the air by his legs. The village residents witnessed the incident and filmed it. Sanju’s wife, Suman, lodged a formal police complaint saying Sanju tortured the child so that she and her parents would give him Rs 2 lakh in cash and a car.

Giving and taking dowry is a crime in India

The section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 states that it is an offence to both give and take dowry. Despite being illegal in India since 1961, many families often indulge in gifting and accepting dowries that includes cash, jewellery and other expensive gifts. The menace of dowry is still far from being curtailed in India. Based on the reports from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an average of 7,000 dowry related deaths were reported annually in India between 2017 and 2022. Many times, dowry deaths also go unreported.

Also read: Despite ‘Pro-Women’ Laws, Dowry Still Kills Indian Women: 4,383 Cases In 2024, Says NCW