HC cites chromosome’s role, denies bail to man accused of driving wife to suicide

Justice Sharma said the idea of a woman’s worth being tied to material considerations such as dowry contradicts the principles of equality and dignity

People harassing daughters-in-law for giving birth to girls need to be educated that the Y chromosome in males decides a child’s gender, the Delhi high court has said while denying bail to an accused in a dowry death case.

The accused argued he was falsely implicated. (Shutterstock)

The court said instances of women being killed for giving birth to females “are etched as disheartening markers on the path of equal societal advancement for women”.

In an order made available two days after it was pronounced on Monday, a bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma cited cases of harassment, nagging, suicide, and dowry deaths of women giving birth to daughters and inability to fulfil desires of preserving family trees. “...such people need to be educated that it is their son and not their daughter-in-law whose chromosomes through the union of a married couple will decide the birth of a daughter or a son,” he said.

Justice Sharma added such incidents should be unacceptable to a conscientious society and be considered grave.

His father-in-law filed the case saying his daughter died by hanging due to dowry demands and pressure from husband and in-laws that caused her distress. He alleged his daughter was also tortured for giving birth to two girls and that her father-in-law also taunted her.

Justice Sharma said the idea of a woman’s worth being tied to material considerations such as dowry contradicts the principles of equality and dignity. “The notion that a woman’s value diminishes if her parents cannot fulfil dowry expectations of her husband and in-laws reflects a deep-seated bias and discrimination against women.”

Advocate Kapil Gupta, who appeared for the accused, argued his client was falsely implicated. He insisted the couple lived happily for around seven years.

Additional public prosecutor Satish Kumar opposed the bail saying the allegations were serious. Kumar added the charge sheet against the accused carries statements of witnesses including a neighbour claiming the woman was distressed as she suffered harassment for dowry.