NEW delhi, March 29 -- Dowry deaths are a "severe blot on society" and a grave violation of human dignity, the Supreme Court has emphasised, urging courts across the country to deal with such greed-driven crimes with an iron hand. Setting aside a Patna High Court order granting bail to a man accused of killing his wife over dowry demands, a bench of justices JB Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi said that despite statutory prohibitions, dowry-related violence continues to claim the lives of thousands of women, often through murder or circumstances that drive them to suicide. "Dowry deaths are indeed a profound disgrace and a major social evil representing a severe violation of human rights and dignity.This practice continues to result in the unnatural deaths of thousands of women, often through murder or driven to suicide because of greed-driven demands for money or valuables from the groom's family," noted the court in its order released earlier this week. The court's remarks came while allowing an appeal filed by the deceased woman's mother, who had challenged the grant of bail to the accused husband in a case registered in Bihar. The top court held that the high court's decision to release the accused was "wholly unsustainable" given the seriousness of the allegations and the material on record. The case relates to the death of a woman within one-and-a-half years of her marriage under suspicious circumstances. According to the FIR lodged by her mother in September 2024, substantial dowry - including Rs.20 lakh in cash and gold and silver worth Rs.6 lakh - had already been given at the time of marriage. The complaint alleged that the husband and his family continued to harass the woman for additional dowry, including demands for a motorcycle, a refrigerator, and a vehicle for business purposes. The mother also alleged that her daughter had been threatened with death if the demands were not met. Medical evidence further strengthened the prosecution's case. The post-mortem report recorded multiple serious injuries, including a fractured skull with lacerated brain matter, ruptured sternum and heart, pelvic fractures, and multiple abrasions across the body. The cause of death was identified as hemorrhage and shock due to head injury. Advocates Pranjal Sharma and Samir Ali Khan appeared for the deceased's mother. Nixing the high court's order of May 2025, the Supreme Court criticised what it described as a mechanical approach in granting bail in serious offences like dowry deaths. It noted that the high court had failed to consider crucial aspects such as the nature and extent of injuries and the statutory presumption applicable in such cases. "The high court lost sight of many important aspects of the matter, more particularly the post-mortem report indicating number of injuries.," the bench said, adding that mere custody period or slow progress of trial could not justify bail in such grave offences. The court reiterated its earlier concerns over a pattern of superficial bail orders in dowry death cases, warning that such an approach risks undermining public confidence in the judiciary's commitment to tackling the social menace. "When a young bride dies under suspicious circumstances within barely two years of marriage, the judiciary must reflect heightened vigilance and seriousness," the court said, cautioning that a casual application of bail principles could dilute the gravity of the offence. Allowing the appeal, the SC cancelled the bail granted to the accused and directed him to surrender before jail authorities....