Neighbourhood Fights Not Abetment to Suicide, Rules Supreme Court
Supreme Court Acquits Woman Convicted of Abetment to Suicide The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday delivered a significant ruling that routine neighbourhood quarrels cannot be equated with abetment to suicide. The Court acquitted a Karnataka woman, Geeta, who had previously been convicted under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly driving her neighbour to suicide. Case Background The case dates back to August 12, 2008 , when a 25-year-old woman from Vijaypur set herself ablaze by pouring kerosene and later succumbed to her injuries. In her dying declaration, she named five neighbours , alleging harassment and constant quarrels over scolding their children. While the trial court acquitted four of the accused, it convicted Geeta under Section 306 IPC, sentencing her to five years in prison. Since the victim belonged to a Scheduled Caste, Geeta was also convicted under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act , leading to a life sentence. High Court Proceeding...