Dowry comes from the word ‘dower‘ which means any kind of present given to bride at the time of her marriage.
Dowry death- When death of a woman is caused within 7 years of her marriage and it is shown that soon before her death, she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or relatives with any demand for dowry
✔️The death is generally caused by burn or any bodily injury, or death occurs in a manner other than normal circumstances
✔️It is a cognizable (police can arrest without warrant) and non-bailable offence
Hurt- Section 319 IPC defines hurt as any bodily pain, disease or infirmity caused to another person.
◾Grievous hurt/injury– Defined by IPC section 320 and comprises of 8 clauses.
- Emasculation (only male castration comes under this clause)
- Permanent privation of sight of either eye
- Permanent privation of hearing of either ear
- Privation of any organ/joint
- Destruction or permanent impairment of any organ/joint
- Permanent disfiguration of the head or face
- Fracture or dislocation of a bone or teeth
- Any injury which endangeres life or causes severe pain for more than 20 days, or disturbs normal lifestyle for more than 20 days
◾ Medicolegal management-
- Specific measures
- Consent for examination of injured
- Informing the police
- Confidentiality of the medical examination findings of the patient
- Record the dying declaration in patient’s own
- General measures- Prepare, preserve and maintain these documentary requirements:
- Accident register/wound register
- Case sheet, date and time of examination and observation noted
- Special reports and laboratory test reports
- Hospital discharge certificate
- Dying declaration- when death is likely to occur
- Death certificate- not issued until postmortem examination is completed
◾ Injuries of Medicolegal importance-
- Hesitation wound
- Defense wounds
- Self inflicted wound (artificial bruises)
- Crush syndrome (multiple injuries as seen in road traffic accident)
- Concealed punctured wound
- Head injuries
- Fatal wound
- Injury likely to cause death
◾IPC sections dealing with dowry death
- IPC section 304B, dowry death, 7 years to life imprisonment
- IPC section 498A, a husband or his relative, subjecting his wife to cruelty for dowry, subjected to imprisonment and fine
- IPC section 113A and 113B, presumption as to abetment by a married woman and dowry death presumption
Some cases of dowry death in india are mentioned in given pdf-
◾Movies related to dowry and dowry death-
- Dawat e ishq dealing with 498A https://youtu.be/jEg4jzwBC-s
- Dahej(1952) https://youtu.be/VOyJ8z4E6Fg
- Adalat short film on dowry eradication https://youtu.be/Px-J-OL1GMQ
- Dowry https://youtu.be/xExr_XAPNb0