The Delhi High Court has upheld the life sentence given by a lower court to a man accused of killing his wife for dowry and observed that such cases are a “curse” on the society and should be dealt with a heavy hand.
Mahesh, a resident of Mayapuri, was convicted by a trial court on January 7, 2010 for setting his wife on fire for not bringing sufficient dowry. Rejecting arguments of Mahesh that victim’s dying declaration was doubtful as she was not in a position to give a statement due to 95-100 per cent burn injuries, the court said such ghastly crimes should be dealt with a heavy hand.
The Bench of Justices Kailash Gambhir and Indermeet Kaur said in a recent judgement, “We believe that such ghastly crimes should be dealt with a heavy hand. Respect forms the basis of our society and respect of a woman should be given prime importance and any such devastating acts that belittle the fundamental values should not be overlooked and snubbed.”