IPC Section 304B
Dowry death
BNS Section 80— Dowry death
Effective for any FIR, charge sheet, or filing on or after 1 July 2024. Matters that arose before that date continue under the IPC.
This section defines 'dowry death' and prescribes punishment for it. Where a woman dies within seven years of marriage under abnormal circumstances (burns, bodily injury, or otherwise) and it is shown she was subjected to dowry-related cruelty or harassment shortly before her death, the husband or his relative is deemed to have caused her death. The minimum sentence is seven years.
- Punishment
- Imprisonment for a term not less than seven years and which may extend to imprisonment for life.
- Triable by
- Sessions Court
- Cognizable
- Yes
- Bailable
- No
For the full text of the new section, see the linked BNS page above. For the binding statutory text, refer to the India Code or the Gazette of India. This reference is informational, not legal advice.