In Brief
Four appellants were convicted under Section 306 IPC (abetment to suicide) for allegedly blackmailing the deceased with compromising photographs, leading to his suicide by poison. The High Court upheld their conviction. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction, holding that the prosecution failed to prove abetment beyond reasonable doubt. The Court found critical gaps: no recovery of photographs, videos, money, or ornaments; a suicide note surfaced 20 days after death and not during inquest; significant inconsistencies in witness testimony; and no proximate act of incitement proven. The Court emphasized that mere harassment without a proximate positive act compelling suicide cannot sustain conviction; clear mens rea and incitement close in time to the suicide are essential. The appellants were acquitted and their bail bonds discharged.
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