Citation

Gurbani V, Thakur S. Indian J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2018; 12(1): 313-317.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Deptartment of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

10.5958/0973-9130.2018.00061.0

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sec. 304-B of Indian Penal Code states "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[1]. The predominant types of dowry crimes relate to cruelty (which includes torture and harassment), domestic violence (including physical, emotional and sexual assault), abetment to suicide and dowry death (including, issues of bride burning and murder). Maximum no. of cases 31(42.6%) were in the age group of '19-22 yrs'(Table - II); followed by 27(37.0%) in the age group of '23-26 yrs'. The other age groups in decreasing order of frequency are '27-30 yrs' - 8 (10.9%) cases; '15-18 yrs' - 5 (6.8%) cases and '31-34 yrs' - 2 (2.7%) cases. The cause of death in majority of the cases - 46(63%) was burn injuries (Table - VII). The second major cause of death was hanging as seen in 12(16.4%) cases, followed by poisoning in 11(15.1%) cases. There were 2(2.7%) cases each of strangulation and head injury. © 2018, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; adult; human; violence; homicide; suicide; burn; female; male; head injury; cause of death; intoxication; strangulation; death; clinical article; justice; Article; West Bengal; morgue; harassment; Alleged dowry deaths; Unnatural deaths in married females