Topic

Presumption in Criminal Cases

1 articleLatest May 2026
Section 304(B) IPC | Statutory Presumption Applies to Dowry Death Even Without Physical Violence or Immediate Post-Marriage Abuse: Patna HC
Case Law Analysis
|Patna High Court

Section 304(B) IPC | Statutory Presumption Applies to Dowry Death Even Without Physical Violence or Immediate Post-Marriage Abuse: Patna HC

The Patna High Court affirmed that the presumption under Section 304(B) IPC is triggered by a dowry-related death within seven years of marriage, regardless of whether physical torture occurred or was documented. This ruling reinforces that emotional coercion, sustained harassment, and unfulfilled dowry demands over months can sustain a conviction, expanding the scope of prosecutorial liability beyond visible abuse.