Legal World

Section 80 BNS — Dowry death

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Official PDF page 28

Open in NyayaOfficial PDF, page 28

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.

Text extracted from the official PDF (Ministry-published 2024 source copy). Line breaks and footnote marks may differ; the PDF is the authority.

Old and new law

Research aid: each pair is a starting point. Confirm it against the official text of both laws before citing it.

For research. Check the official gazette and later amendments before citing a section.