Dowry death
Full Text
80. (1) 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 death shall be called “dowry death”, and such husband or relative shall be deemed to have caused her death.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “dowry” shall have the same meaning as in section 2 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
(2) 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.
Plain English Summary
Defines and penalizes dowry death, which occurs when a woman dies under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage and is shown to have been subjected to cruelty or harassment over dowry demands soon before death. Punishable by seven years to life imprisonment.
Key Legal Elements
- Death of a woman caused by burns, bodily injury, or occurring under unnatural circumstances.
- The death must occur within seven years of her marriage.
- The woman must have been subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relatives soon before her death.
- Such cruelty or harassment must be in connection with any demand for dowry.
Punishment
Imprisonment of not less than 7 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life.
Practical Note
Section 80 BNS replaces Section 304B of the IPC. It creates a statutory presumption that the husband or relative caused the death if the conditions of unnatural death within 7 years of marriage and cruelty/harassment for dowry 'soon before' death are met. The term 'dowry' is derived from Section 2 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
हिंदी पाठ
80. (1) जहाँ किसी महिला की मृत्यु उसकी शादी के सात वर्ष के भीतर जलने या शारीरिक चोट के कारण होती है या अन्यथा सामान्य परिस्थितियों से हटकर होती है, और यह दिखाया जाता है कि अपनी मृत्यु से ठीक पहले वह अपने पति या उसके किसी रिश्तेदार द्वारा दहेज की मांग के संबंध में क्रूरता या प्रताड़ना का शिकार हुई थी, तो ऐसी मृत्यु को “दहेज मृत्यु” कहा जाएगा, और ऐसे पति या रिश्तेदार के बारे में यह माना जाएगा कि उसने उसकी मृत्यु कारित की है।
स्पष्टीकरण—इस उपधारा के प्रयोजनों के लिए, “दहेज” का वही अर्थ होगा जो दहेज निषेध अधिनियम, 1961 की धारा 2 में है।
(2) जो कोई भी दहेज मृत्यु कारित करेगा, उसे कारावास से दंडित किया जाएगा जिसकी अवधि सात वर्ष से कम नहीं होगी, लेकिन जिसे आजीवन कारावास तक बढ़ाया जा सकता है।