Karnataka High Court: “Encouraging Suicide” Not Always Necessary for Abetment, Rules Strongly

In a recent ruling, Justice M Nagaprasanna addressed the complexity of determining abetment of suicide in cases involving contentious statements. The ruling stemmed from a petition involving allegations of abetment of suicide against a man in connection with the death of a priest in a church in Udupi in coastal Karnataka.

The petitioner was accused of triggering the priest’s suicide by allegedly urging him to “go hang himself” during a conversation about the priest’s alleged relationship with the petitioner’s wife. The defence counsel argued that the statement was made out of anguish upon discovering the alleged affair, and the priest’s decision to end his life was influenced by the affair becoming known to others, rather than solely by the accused’s words.

The opposing counsel contended that the priest took his own life due to the accused’s threatening language about exposing the affair. However, the single judge bench, drawing on precedents set by the Supreme Court, emphasized that such statements alone might not constitute abetment to suicide.

The court acknowledged the multifaceted reasons behind the priest’s suicide, including the alleged illicit relationship he had despite his role as a father and priest. Recognizing the complexities of human psychology, the court underscored the challenge of deciphering the human mind and declined to categorize the accused’s statement as abetment to suicide.

Consequently, the court quashed the case, emphasizing the intricate nature of human behavior and the inability to fully unravel the motivations behind such tragic incidents. *(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.

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