Essential ingredients for establishing an offence of dowry death under Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code

require the prosecution to strictly prove that the death of the woman was caused by burns, bodily injury, or occurred otherwise than under normal circumstances, that such death transpired within seven years of her marriage, and critically, that soon before her death she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relatives for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry. The mere occurrence of an unnatural death within the statutory period of seven years cannot mechanically lead to conviction unless all foundational elements are firmly established by cogent evidence. The statutory scheme demands proof beyond reasonable doubt that the accused individually or collectively subjected the victim to cruelty specifically linked to dowry demands proximate to the time of death, failing which the statutory presumption cannot be sustained. (Munni Devi Vs State of Uttar Pradesh | 2026 INSC 136).