More than 6,000 dowry-related cases are registered on an average annually, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

According to the latest NCRB report, there were about 6,787 dowry death cases registered in India in 2005. Incidents of dowry deaths during 2005 (6,787) increased significantly by 46.0 percent over the 1995 level (4,648).

According to police, every year over 2,500 cases of bride-burning due to dowry are reported.

'We are going to submit a detailed report of the two-day event to the ministry of women and child development,' said Donna Fernandes, another member of Vimochana.

A victim who testified at the court said she suffered regular beating and mental torture at the hands of her husband of five long years, before ending her marriage.

'Mental and physical harassment was part and parcel of my five years of married life. My husband always demanded dowry from my parents, but as my parents were unable to give it, he used to beat me. After that I left my husband forever. Now I am staying with my parents,' said a dowry victim from Bangalore who did not wish to be named.

Another dowry victim from Chennai said on condition of anonymity: 'The court gave me a platform to narrate my story to the experts. They patiently listened to each one of us, and we are hopeful that together we can end the system of dowry from the country.'

This court, however, has no legal authority.