Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) addresses dowry deaths. This section covers situations where a woman dies under unnatural circumstances (burns, bodily injury, or other suspicious circumstances) within seven years of marriage, and evidence shows she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relatives related to dowry demands. A dowry death is defined by the woman’s death occurring within seven years of marriage due to such unnatural circumstances, coupled with dowry-related cruelty or harassment by the husband or his relatives shortly before her death. The punishment for this offense is imprisonment of not less than seven years, which can extend to life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court, in cases like Kans Raj vs State of Punjab (2000), has clarified that “soon before death” doesn’t mean immediately preceding death, but rather a reasonable timeframe during which the woman experienced such cruelty or harassment. Once the prosecution establishes a prima facie case, the burden of proof shifts to the accused to explain the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
Also read: False case of theft