Question

Under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, within how many months from the date of marriage must dowry received before marriage be transferred to the woman?

• A. Within five months
• B. Within three months
• C. Within six months
• D. Within seven months

Hint:

Remember the timeline under Section 6: Dowry received before marriage → Transfer within 3 months after marriage. This is a frequently asked statutory period.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 treats any dowry received by a person other than the woman as property held in trust for her benefit. Section 6 of the Act imposes a legal obligation to transfer such property to the woman within the prescribed period.

Step 1: Understanding Section 6.
* Where dowry is received before marriage by any person other than the woman, it must be transferred to the woman within three months from the date of marriage. * The recipient merely holds the property as a trustee until such transfer takes place.

Step 2: Purpose of the provision.
* The law seeks to ensure that dowry, if received, remains the exclusive property of the woman. * It prevents relatives or other persons from retaining control over property intended for her benefit.

Step 3: Legal consequence of non-transfer.
* Failure to transfer the dowry within the prescribed time may attract penal consequences under the Act. * The woman retains her right to recover the property.

Dowry received before marriage must be transferred to the woman within three months from the date of marriage.

Answer 2

Section 6 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 fixes a specific time limit for handing over dowry received before marriage to the woman herself, treating anyone else who holds it meanwhile as a trustee. Checking each option against that fixed period identifies the answer.

1. Within five months: Section 6 does not use this figure for dowry received before marriage; it fixes a shorter period, so this option overstates the time allowed.
2. Within three months: Section 6 requires that dowry received by any person other than the woman, where received before the marriage, be transferred to her within three months from the date of the marriage. This matches the statutory period exactly.
3. Within six months: This is double the actual statutory period and does not correspond to Section 6's wording for dowry received before marriage.
4. Within seven months: This figure has no basis in Section 6 either and overstates the time the recipient is allowed to hold the property before transferring it.

The Act fixes three months, not any of the longer periods listed, as the deadline for transferring dowry received before marriage to the woman.

Hence, the correct answer is Within three months.