In Brief
In this dowry death case, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court's conviction of the appellants (in-laws of the deceased) and restored the trial court's acquittal. The High Court had convicted them under Sections 304B and 498A of the IPC based on statutory presumption under Section 113B of the Evidence Act. The Court held that the statutory presumption can only be invoked after the prosecution proves the foundational fact—that the deceased was subjected to cruelty or harassment in connection with a demand for dowry—by direct and convincing evidence. Here, the alleged dowry demand (a motorcycle) was not proved credibly, no complaints were made to police, and medical evidence was inconclusive on the cause of death. The Court allowed the appeal and ordered the appellants' release.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.