▁to ▁pay ▁additional ▁dow ry . ▁The ▁wife ▁is ▁typically ▁d oused ▁with ▁k eros ene , ▁gas oline , ▁or ▁other ▁fl amm able ▁liquid , ▁and ▁set ▁al ight , ▁leading ▁to ▁death ▁by ▁fire . ▁K eros ene ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁cook ing ▁fuel ▁for ▁dangerous ▁small ▁pet rol ▁st ov es , ▁so ▁it ▁allows ▁the ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁crime ▁was ▁an ▁accident . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁common ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁has ▁ancient ▁roots ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁S ati ▁( S ut te e ). ▁ ▁This ▁crime ▁has ▁been ▁treated ▁as ▁cul p able ▁hom ic ide ▁and , ▁if ▁proven , ▁is ▁usually ▁accordingly ▁pun ished ▁by ▁up ▁to ▁lif el ong ▁imprison ment ▁or ▁death . ▁B ride ▁burning ▁has ▁been ▁recognized ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁problem ▁in ▁India , ▁account ing ▁for ▁around ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁death s ▁per ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Time ▁Magazine ▁reported ▁that ▁dow ry ▁death s ▁in ▁India ▁increased ▁from ▁around ▁ 4 0 0 ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁to ▁around ▁ 5 8 0 0 ▁a ▁year ▁by ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁CNN ▁ran ▁a ▁story ▁saying ▁that ▁every ▁year ▁police ▁receive ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁reports ▁of ▁b ride ▁burning . ▁According ▁to ▁Indian ▁National ▁Crime ▁Record ▁Bureau , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 9