Dowry is social anathema, must be dealt with firmly: SC

“In the Indian idiom, where it is oft spoken that on her marriage a daughter ceases to be a member of her parents' family and may return to it only as a corpse, the reality is that only when it is obvious that the marriage has become unredeemably unworkable that the wife and her family would initiate proceedings,” it said.

“We must hasten to add that a malpractice is now widely manifesting itself in that lawyers invariably advise immediate commencement of Section 498-A proceedings employing them as a weapon of harassment. Courts however, are aware and alive to this abuse of otherwise salutary statutory provision.”

The court order came on an appeal filed by a man and his family members seeking quashing of proceedings against them in a dowry harassment and abetment to suicide case lodged against them by his in-laws after his wife committed suicide.  

The bench dismissed the plea and allowed the proceedings against them.