Bride burning: a heinous crime.

ABSTRACT

“Dowry” is defined as meaning money, or other thing estimated in terms of money, demanded from the wife or her parents or her relatives by the husband or his parents or other relatives, where such a demand is not properly referable to any legally recognized claim and is relatable only to the wife’s having married into the husband’s family. Dowry death, a heinous crime is gradually engulfing and polluting the entire society. Newly married young women are the victims who adopted the way of suicide to end their lives by burning, hanging, poisoning or drowning. A 23 years old married female had died in her kitchen under suspicious circumstances within one year of her marriage life by burning with some inflammable material on dated 22/12/2009. The post-mortem examination revealed that death was due to asphyxia as a result of pressure over neck. 98% of dermo-epidermal burn present over body was post mortem in nature. Manner of death was homicidal. A medico legal aspect of the case is discussed in this article.