Supreme Court clarified that any property or valuable security given at or after marriage amounts to dowry, while distinguishing Islamic ‘mehr’. The Court restored convictions and issued pan-India directions to strengthen enforcement, awareness, and disposal of such cases.
A court ruled that in dowry death cases, the focus should be on the marriage and its circumstances, not the place where the woman died. The husband had argued that no dowry offence was made out since his wife died at her parental home. The court rejected this claim, stating that the location of the suicide does not diminish the seriousness of the allegations. The judgment reinforces that the nature of the marital relationship is central in such cases.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Monday expressed deep concern over the continuing problem of dowry deaths, calling it a “grave social concern.” The court stressed that judges must carefully examine all details before granting bail in such cases, as the crime directly affects social justice and equality.
