The Supreme Court on Friday strongly criticized dowry-related harassment while denying relief to the husband’s relatives convicted in a 2010 dowry death case from Chhattisgarh. The court stated that a clear message must be sent against the mistreatment of brides and their families.
Justice BV Nagarathna observed that men should not marry women only to insult them and their relatives. The bench, which also included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, declined to alter the rulings of the trial court and the Chhattisgarh High Court. Both lower courts had upheld convictions under Sections 304B, 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code.
The case involved the death by hanging of a woman within three years of marriage. Prosecutors said she faced ongoing harassment and repeated demands for cash and a car from her husband and in-laws. The trial court noted that the death occurred under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage, triggering the legal presumption of dowry death. Family testimonies described financial demands and cruelty shortly before the incident. Medical reports confirmed death by asphyxia from hanging, and courts linked the cruelty directly to the death.
The appeal was filed by the woman’s younger brother-in-law, who sought relief from his conviction under Section 498A. His lawyer argued that the allegations were too weak to support the conviction. The bench rejected the plea, noting the limited charge and sentence. Justice Nagarathna highlighted a pattern of financial pressure on brides and their families, adding that the woman’s relatives were called beggars despite offering money.
The court also dismissed arguments about delay in filing the FIR. Justice Bhuyan remarked on the conduct of educated individuals involved. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the convictions.
The hearing follows public anger over another recent case in Bhopal involving similar allegations, now under CBI investigation.
