In Brief
A man died by suicide after an alleged illicit relationship developed between his wife and another man (the appellant). The trial court charged the appellant with abetting the suicide under Indian Penal Code Section 306. The Supreme Court quashed the charges, holding that an illicit relationship alone cannot constitute abetment without clear proof of a direct act of instigation with mens rea (intent). The Court found no evidence that the appellant instigated the suicide—they had peacefully consumed liquor together days before the death, with no proximity between any alleged provocation and the suicide. The Court clarified that abetment requires a positive act leaving the victim with no choice but to die, not merely creating an unpleasant domestic environment.
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