In Brief
A husband was convicted of cruelty under Section 498-A IPC after his wife died by hanging in 1995. The High Court converted his conviction from rash/negligent act causing death (Section 304-B) to abetment of suicide (Section 306). The Supreme Court upheld the Section 498-A conviction but acquitted him under Section 306, holding that while cruelty was proved, there was no credible evidence that it was inflicted shortly before her death. The Court emphasised that temporal proximity between cruelty and death is essential for Section 306 liability.
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