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 unn...