Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code defines dowry death. It was incorporated in the IPC in the year 1986 with an objective to curb murders, suicides and burning cases in relation to the dowry system in India.
The Act states, “Where the death of a woman is caused by any burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of her marriage, and it is shown that soon before her death she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband, for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry, such deaths shall be called dowry deaths and such husband or relative shall be deemed to have caused her death.”
The term “dowry” has been defined in Section 2(1) of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
Further, Clause 2 of Section 304-B states “Whoever commits dowry death shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to imprisonment for life.”
Thus, the first Clause defines dowry death, while the second Clause prescribes the punishment for dowry death.
The Supreme Court in V. N Pawar v. State of Maharashtra has laid down that the investigating agencies should be more watchful in cases related to dowry related crimes and there is an urgent need to reinforce the penal measures.
