Delhi court gives 12-year jail term for dowry death of pregnant wife

A Delhi court has sentenced a man and his mother to 12 years' rigorous imprisonment for the dowry death of his pregnant wife, Komal. Additional Sessions Judge Priya Mahendra said the offence was aggravated because the crime claimed not just the woman's life but also that of her unborn child, making leniency a 'travesty of justice'.

Komal, 29, married Nitesh on March 15, 2021, and was about two-and-a-half months pregnant when she died by hanging at her matrimonial home on June 3, 2021. The court observed that her hopes of being welcomed with love and affection were 'shattered' by the convicts' greed for dowry, and that her pregnancy did not 'melt their hearts'.

The judge also imposed three years' imprisonment for cruelty, with both sentences to run concurrently. Fines of Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 were imposed on the husband and mother-in-law respectively, to be released to Komal's legal heirs. Times Now reports the court noted that 'the scourge of dowry-harassment deaths is still prevalent in our Indian society'.