Patriarchy is a Daily Reality: Supreme Court Upholds Life Term for Man Who Killed Wife Over Food

The Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment of a man from Rajasthan who murdered his newlywed wife by setting her on fire over a dispute regarding cooking.

The Bench observed that patriarchy remains a "daily reality" in India, describing domestic abuse as a symptom of a "diseased social order."

The Court rejected the appellant's challenge to the victim's dying declaration, noting that medical evidence and the magistrate's certification confirmed her fitness to testify. 

Lamenting that nearly 4.5 lakh crimes against women were recorded in 2023, the judges emphasized that legal reforms alone cannot ensure equality without a shift in the collective societal conscience.

[Shankar v. State of Rajasthan]