Supreme Court Overturns Conviction, Says Heated Neighbourhood Disputes Don’t Always Amount to Abetment of Suicide
The Supreme Court acquitted the appellant of the charge under Section 306 IPC, holding that mere involvement in neighbourhood quarrels and heated exchanges, without a clear intention to instigate suicide, does not constitute abetment. The prosecution failed to establish that the appellant's acts left the deceased with no option but to commit suicide, thereby lacking the requisite mens rea.
Facts Of The Case:
The case pertains to an incident on 12.08.2008, where Sarika, a 25-year-old BA student giving private tuitions, set herself on fire and later succumbed to her injuries. Before her death, her statement was recorded, alleging that the appellant, Geeta, her neighbour, had been harassing her for six months over noise disturbances from Geeta's house. The deceased claimed that Geeta repe...