Presumption as to dowry death is laid down in ……….. of Indian Evidence Act

Section 113B was inserted into the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 by the Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1986. This section provides for a presumption as to dowry death. Under Section 113B, if the death of a woman is caused by burns or bodily injury or occurs in unnatural circumstances within seven years of her marriage, and it is shown that she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relatives in connection with a demand for dowry, the court may presume that such cruelty or harassment was the cause of her death. This presumption can be rebutted by evidence to the contrary. The aim of this section is to deter husbands and their relatives from demanding dowry and subjecting married women to cruelty or harassment, by making them liable for the woman's death in case of dowry-related deaths.