CHAPTER XVI OF OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY · Of offences affecting life

Section 304B: Dowry death

Repealed by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024.

¹[(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 (28 of 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.]

Footnotes in the official text

1.Ins. by Act 43 of 1986, s. 10 (w.e.f. 19-11-1986).

Now in the BNS

As given in the correspondence table of the National Crime Records Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs). Read both texts before relying on it. NCRB table

304B. Dowry death.

BNS 80

Questions on this section

7 questions in 22 of our papers cite Section 304B. Try these from the free papers:

1. For a death to be a 'dowry death' under Section 80 of the BNS, it must, among other conditions, occur within how many years of the woman's marriage?
2. Match List I (provision of the Indian Penal Code, 1860) with List II (corresponding provision of the BNS): List I A. Section 304B (dowry death) B. Section 498A (cruelty by husband or relative of husband) C. Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) D. Section 354D (stalking) List II 1. Section 85 2. Section 78 3. Section 80 4. Section 79
3. Whoever commits dowry death is punishable under Section 80(2) of the BNS with imprisonment for a term

Practise questions on Criminal Law