Delhi court sentences husband, mother-in-law to 12 years in dowry death case

A Delhi court has sentenced Nitesh Kashyap and his mother, Meena, to 12 years’ rigorous imprisonment each in a dowry death case involving Kashyap’s wife, who died while pregnant.

Kashyap’s wife married him on March 15, 2021, and died at her matrimonial home on June 3 that year, when she was around 10 weeks pregnant. Additional Sessions Judge Priya Mahendra held that her death followed continuous cruelty and dowry demands.

Prosecutor Kamal Akhtar said the demands included a more expensive motorcycle, Rs 30,000 for an air conditioner, and gold articles for relatives after the pregnancy became known. The court also found that allegations concerning the woman’s friendship with a male friend compounded the harassment.

Judge Mahendra said the evidence established a “live nexus” between the dowry-related cruelty and the woman’s death. The court rejected the defence contention about the alleged relationship and declined to grant leniency to Kashyap and Meena.