01 March 2024 Acquittal >> Criminal Law   |   Investigation >> Criminal Law  

Facts:

• The appellant, Kumar, resided as a tenant in the same house as the deceased woman. After vacating the premises, the appellant allegedly pressured the deceased to marry him, resorting to threats against her and her sisters.
• The deceased's father claimed she consumed poison and succumbed to it shortly after the alleged threats. The prosecution relied on witness testimonies from the deceased's family to establish the harassment and subsequent suicide.

Issue:

Whether the prosecution successfully proved the appellant's guilt in abetting the suicide of the deceased under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.

Holding:

• The Supreme Court overturned the appellant's conviction and further found the prosecution's case lacked sufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant incited or instigated the deceased to commit suicide. Inconsistencies in witness testimonies and a lack of thorough investigation into other potential witnesses were highlighted by the Court.

Reasoning:

• The Court emphasized the prosecution's burden to prove the appellant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Inconsistencies in the timeline of events presented by the prosecution witnesses raised doubts about the credibility of their testimonies.
• The alleged lack of investigation into neighbours who might have witnessed the harassment further weakened the prosecution's case.

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court's judgment underscores the importance of a robust prosecution case in abetment of suicide charges. In this instance, the absence of concrete evidence and investigative shortcomings led to the appellant's acquittal.

  Indian Penal Code, 1860    Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973