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Court emphasized that these cases were not solely about male dominance and gender-based hostility, instead, they often revealed intricate dynamics where women themselves participated in perpetuating hostility against their fellow women
The Delhi High Court has recently expressed concern regarding the troubling recurrence of dowry death cases, shedding light on the deeply ingrained perception of women as a financial burden in various parts of the country.
The court remarked that women's marriage prospects often take precedence from birth, overshadowing their educational and career aspirations.
A single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made these observations in its order issued on October 31 while upholding a trial court's decision to convict a man under Sections 498A (subjecting a wife to cruelty) and 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.
Justice Sharma emphasized that these cases were not solely about male dominance and gender-based hostility. Instead, they often revealed intricate dynamics where women themselves participated in perpetuating hostility against their fellow women.
The court further pointed out that the psychological stress and emotional trauma inflicted on women by their in-laws repeatedly demanding dowry and subjecting them to a life "akin to a slave" could be even more devastating than physical violence.
“This trauma can be so overwhelming that, for some, death may tragically appear to be a lesser agony than the relentless torment caused by the demands for dowry and the compulsion and pressure to ask their parents to keep on giving money and gifts to the in-laws,” the court added.
The high court highlighted that the deceased woman, the man's wife, had endured unceasing torment and was even denied the ability to contact her parents or visit them.
Justice Sharma stressed that the woman's tragic decision to take her own life spoke volumes about the silent suffering she endured and served as a reminder that, in her absence, the courts should become the voice of those who can no longer speak for themselves.
Labeling the woman's demise as a dowry death, the court ordered the man, who had been on bail for over 14 years, to surrender within 30 days to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Case Title: Satpal Singh v. State
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