Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 with Rules

This 2024 edition of The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (Act 28 of 1961) reproduces the statute verbatim and binds in:

Dowry Prohibition (Maintenance of List of Presents to the Bride & Bridegroom) Rules, 1985 – prescribed form, two-signature authentication, and 3-year preservation duty.

Extracts from the Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Secs. 304-B (dowry death), 498-A (cruelty) and abetment provisions.

Extracts from the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 – Secs. 113-A & 113-B creating presumptions of abetment and dowry death.

Concise short comments follow pivotal sections—flagging the 1984 & 1986 penalty enhancements (minimum 5-year sentence for dowry demands), Supreme Court guidelines on immediate arrest safeguards (Rajesh Sharma, Arnesh Kumar), and 2022 circulars on digital-evidence admissibility—while preserving full Bare-Act integrity for examinations and authoritative citation.

Core statutory coverage

• Absolute prohibition of giving, taking or demanding dowry before, during or after marriage—irrespective of caste, creed or custom.

• Penalty framework—non-bailable offences; minimum 5-year imprisonment and ₹ 15,000 (or value of dowry) fine for demand.

• Dowry death linkage—IPC 304-B presumption triggers within seven years of marriage; mandatory magistrate inquest and post-mortem.

• List-of-presents compliance—bride & groom families must sign itemised list; presumption of dowry in absence of list.

• Burden-shifting evidentiary rules—Evidence Act presumptions place onus on husband/in-laws in cruelty or suspicious-death prosecutions.

• Police & magistrate duties—immediate seizure, safe-custody of dowry articles, and speedy disposal through special courts.

This edition is particularly suited for

• Family-court advocates, women-cell counsellors & mediators handling dowry-harassment complaints and settlement negotiations.

• Police IOs & public prosecutors drafting FIRs, charge-sheets and courtroom briefs under 498-A/304-B.

• NGOs, shelter-homes & helplines guiding survivors on statutory remedies and list-of-presents preservation.

• AIBE candidates and law students studying gender-justice, criminal-law and evidence modules.

• Policy researchers & journalists tracking dowry-death statistics, misuse debates and reform proposals.

Exact Gazette text · pinpoint explanatory notes · zero superfluous commentary—your fastest route to clarity, authenticity and practical insight on India’s anti-dowry framework.