After 30 years of legal battles, the Supreme Court acquitted a man convicted of abetting his wife’s suicide, stressing that the criminal justice system can sometimes be a punishment in itself. The case dates back to 1992 when the man got married. The prosecution alleged that after the marriage, the man and his parents began demanding money so he could start a ration shop.
On November 19, 1993, the man’s wife tragically took her own life by consuming poison. The prosecution argued that her suicide was a result of ongoing harassment by her husband.
In 1998, a Karnal court convicted the man under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with abetment of suicide. This decision was later upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction, stating that to charge someone under Section 306, there must be clear evidence of “mens rea” (criminal intent) and an active role in driving the person to suicide.
A bench consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ruled that mere harassment is insufficient to convict someone of abetment. There must be a direct link between the accused’s actions and the suicide. The court emphasized the need for clear evidence when dealing with cases of suicide within seven years of marriage, cautioning against drawing conclusions based on moral judgment instead of legal principles.
The bench also noted that merely demanding money for starting a business does not automatically amount to cruelty or harassment. The court underscored that if a victim is hypersensitive to everyday conflicts and domestic issues, it should not be assumed that these circumstances would drive any ordinary person to suicide.
The top court pointed out the harsh reality of this case: the man’s ordeal lasted three decades, beginning in 1993 and finally ending in 2024. The court acknowledged the tragic loss of the young woman, who left behind a six-month-old child, but emphasized that guilt must be determined according to the law.
Case Title: Sarvaiya Rajubhai Bachubhai Versus State of Gujarat & Ors.
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