In Brief
A young girl who eloped with the appellant and later supported his acquittal in a kidnapping and sexual abuse case was subsequently harassed and threatened by him despite the acquittal. After years of persistent psychological harassment, eve-teasing and threats of kidnapping, she set herself ablaze in despair. The trial court acquitted him, but the High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted him under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide) for seven years. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, holding that the appellant's continuous course of conduct created circumstances leaving the deceased with no option but to end her life, satisfying the legal test for abetment. The dying declaration by the deceased, recorded despite her severe burn injuries, was found credible and admissible without requiring a medical certificate of fitness.
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