Cong leader Rahul Gandhi arrives in US to 'further strengthen' bond between India and America
Houston (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday arrived in the US on a three-day visit during which he will hold "meaningful discussions and insightful conversations" to further strengthen the bond between India and America.
"I am truly delighted by the warm welcome I’ve received in Dallas, Texas, USA, from the Indian Diaspora and members of the Indian Overseas Congress," Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said in a Facebook post.
"I eagerly look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions and insightful conversations that will further strengthen the bond between our two nations during this visit," he said, sharing some photographs of his arrival.
In a post on X, the Congress party said that Gandhi received a "warm and enthusiastic" welcome at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda said last week that the Opposition leader is not coming to the US in his official capacity but will have a chance to interact with a variety of people on Capitol Hill at an "individual level".
"He (Gandhi) will have interactions with the press at the national press club, he will meet with the think tank people and will also have interaction at Georgetown University which is equally important in Washington DC," Pitroda said of Gandhi's first visit to the US since assuming the mantle of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
During his visit from September 8-10, the Congress leader would hold numerous interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Georgetown and the University of Texas.
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Broken relationships don't automatically amount to abetment of suicide: SC
New Delhi (PTI): Broken relationships, while emotionally distressing, do not automatically amount to abetment of suicide in the absence of intention leading to the criminal offence, the Supreme Court on Friday said.
The observations came from a bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Ujjal Bhuyan in a judgement, which overturned the conviction of one Kamaruddin Dastagir Sanadi by the Karnataka High Court for the offences of cheating and abetment of suicide under the IPC.
"This is a case of a broken relationship, not criminal conduct," the judgment said.
Sanadi was initially charged under Sections 417 (cheating), 306 (abetment of suicide), and 376 (rape) of the IPC.
While the trial court acquitted him of all the charges, the Karnataka High Court, on the state's appeal, convicted him of cheating and abetment of suicide, sentencing him to five years imprisonment and imposing Rs 25,000 in fine.
According to the FIR registered at the mother's instance, her 21-year-old daughter was in love with the accused for the past eight years and died by suicide in August, 2007, after he refused to keep his promise to marry.
Writing a 17-page judgement, Justice Mithal analysed the two dying declarations of the woman and noted that neither was there any allegation of a physical relationship between the couple nor there was any intentional act leading to the suicide.
The judgement therefore underlined broken relationships were emotionally distressing, but did not automatically amount to criminal offences.
"Even in cases where the victim dies by suicide, which may be as a result of cruelty meted out to her, the courts have always held that discord and differences in domestic life are quite common in society and that the commission of such an offence largely depends upon the mental state of the victim," said the apex court.
The court further said, "Surely, until and unless some guilty intention on the part of the accused is established, it is ordinarily not possible to convict him for an offence under Section 306 IPC.”
The judgement said there was no evidence to suggest that the man instigated or provoked the woman to die by suicide and underscored a mere refusal to marry, even after a long relationship, did not constitute abetment.
