In Brief
A woman died by consuming poison within four years of her marriage while living with her husband. Her father testified that the husband and his family repeatedly demanded money and a car as dowry, and the woman had expressed unhappiness and harassment. The husband was convicted of dowry death under Section 304-B, IPC. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, finding that the prosecution had established the necessary legal ingredients: death in unusual circumstances within seven years of marriage and evidence of recent dowry demands and cruelty. The Court rejected the husband's defence that they maintained cordial relations, finding he had forged hospital documents to fabricate this claim. The Court held that distinct crimes of dowry death and cruelty can be tried separately.
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