Abstract

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 2018 (Act No. 39 of 2018) was enacted for the purpose of meeting up the demand of changing circumstances considering the provisions of the previous law. This Act prohibited giving or taking dowry in marriage or before solemnization or during continuance of marital relationship. The Act has brought changes in the definition clause and introduced seven salient features such as (i) making agreement for dowry is also a crime, (ii) filing false cases is an offence, (iii) applicability of CrPC during trial, (iv) the period of limitation has been lifted, (v) making the offence cognizable keeping options for compounding. The Act is designed to implement harsher punishment upon the perpetrators. Despite having provision for formulation of Rules under section 9 of the Act, till date, no such rule has been formulated.