In a stern address against the continued practice of dowry deaths, the Delhi High Court has emphasized the dangerous mindset that expects women to endure suffering in their matrimonial homes, stating that this belief only serves to embolden perpetrators. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma highlighted this critical social issue while denying bail to a man accused of murdering his wife over dowry demands.
The court observed that the societal expectations and fears of stigma often compel families to advise their daughters to adjust and endure hardships, which can lead to fatal consequences including murder or suicide. Justice Sharma strongly criticized the advice given to visibly abused victims to continue enduring suffering as supposedly being the “right” thing to do post-marriage.
This ruling came as the court reviewed a case where a husband, in a drunken rage, killed his wife following her family’s refusal to meet his unreasonable demands for selling their land as dowry. The accused had strangled his wife just two months into their marriage, following continuous demands for dowry which escalated into harassment and abuse, as reported by the victim’s father.
Justice Sharma’s decision underscored the grim reality that, despite the criminalization of dowry demands and related violence, such incidents remain prevalent. The judge pointed out that even after decades since the enactment of Section 304B (dowry death) of the IPC, courts are regularly confronted with cases of women being harassed, tortured, and murdered because of dowry issues.
The refusal to grant bail was based not only on the heinous nature of the crime but also on the message it sends to society. The court stressed that granting bail in such cases could further perpetuate these practices and counteract the very purpose of the laws designed to protect women from such brutality.
