Daughter-in-law
should be treated as a family member and not housemaid, and she cannot be
"thrown out of her matrimonial home at any time", the Supreme Court
has said, while expressing concern over instances of brides being burnt and
tortured in the country. The apex court said a bride must be respected in her
matrimonial home as it "reflects the sensitivity of a civilized
society."
A daughter-in-law is to be treated as a member of the family
with warmth and affection and not as a stranger with respectable and ignoble
indifference. She should not be treated as a house maid. No impression should
be given that she can be thrown out of her matrimonial home at any time,"
a bench of justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said.
"Respect
of a bride in her matrimonial home glorifies the solemnity and sanctity of
marriage, reflects the sensitivity of a civilized society and eventually
epitomizes her aspirations dreamt of in nuptial bliss. "But the manner in
which sometimes the bride is treated in many a home by the husband, in-law and
the relatives creates a feeling of emotional numbness in society," it
said.
The apex court made the observations while upholding the
sentence of seven-year jail term to a man for torturing his wife, who committed
suicide. The bench said it was a matter of great concern that brides in several
cases were being treated with total insensitivity, destroying their desire to
live.
"It is a matter of grave concern and shame that brides are
burned or otherwise their life-sparks are extinguished by torture, both
physical and mental, because of demand of dowry and insatiable greed and
sometimes, sans demand of dowry, because of cruelty and harassment meted out to
the nascent brides, treating them with total insensitivity, destroying their
desire to live and forcing them to commit suicide, a brutal self-humiliation of
life," the bench said.
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