Merely asking someone to “go and die” would not amount to abetment of suicide, the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) has ruled.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh made the observation while quashing lower court proceedings initiated against a woman and her mother for abetment of suicide of the former’s husband, who, in his suicide note, had blamed them for his decision to take the extreme step.
The judge said that merely because the duo had told the deceased that “he can go and die”, that in itself was not sufficient to constitute an offence under Section 306 ( abetment of suicide) under the Indian Penal Code.
It is alleged that the daughter was in a relationship with another man before her marriage in 2008.
The man came to know about the affair only after the marriage. When he questioned his wife, she was said to have left home. Her mother allegedly called him and told him to die as he was not capable of supporting his wife. His wife too called him and said the same.
Following a complaint from the man’s mother, the Madurai police booked the duo under Section 306 of the IPC.
