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In short: The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (Act No. 28 of 1961) covers the ban on giving, taking and demanding dowry, the duty to return dowry to the woman, and how dowry offences are prosecuted. It came into force on 1 July 1961. It has 13 section entries, listed below with a plain-English summary of each. Part of our Law Library.
हिंदी में: दहेज प्रतिषेध अधिनियम, 1961 की सभी धाराएँ नीचे सरल भाषा में दी गई हैं।
All sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
| Section | Title | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short title, extent and commencement | Name of the Act, its extent and commencement on 1 July 1961. |
| 2 | Definition of “dowry” | Dowry is property or valuable security given or agreed to be given in connection with the marriage, but not mehr under Muslim personal law. |
| 3 | Penalty for giving or taking dowry | Giving, taking or abetting dowry is punishable with at least five years and a fine; voluntary gifts entered in a list are excluded. |
| 4 | Penalty for demanding dowry | Demanding dowry, directly or indirectly, is punishable with six months to two years and a fine. |
| 4A | Ban on advertisement | Advertising offers of property or money in consideration of marriage is punishable. |
| 5 | Agreement for giving or taking dowry to be void | Any agreement for giving or taking dowry is void. |
| 6 | Dowry to be for the benefit of the wife or her heirs | Dowry received by anyone other than the woman must be transferred to her within three months, failing which it is an offence. |
| 7 | Cognizance of offences | Who can take cognizance of offences, and on whose complaint. |
| 8 | Offences to be cognizable for certain purposes and to be bailable and non-compoundable | Offences under the Act are cognizable for investigation, non-bailable and non-compoundable. |
| 8A | Burden of proof in certain cases | A person accused of taking or abetting dowry, or of demanding it, must prove he did not commit the offence. |
| 8B | Dowry Prohibition Officers | States may appoint Dowry Prohibition Officers to enforce the Act. |
| 9 | Power to make rules | The Central Government may make rules, such as on lists of presents. |
| 10 | Power of the State Government to make rules | State Governments may make rules for carrying out the Act. |
Need help with a case under this Act? See 498A and dowry cases, Dowry death cases, or book a consultation. Back to the Law Library.
Prepared by Adv. Mridul Jindal, Law Chambers of Mridul Jindal, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Last updated 11 November 2026. Summaries are in plain English for general information and are not the text of the law or legal advice; always read the official text on India Code. Disclaimer.
