'Go hang yourself' not necessarily abetment of suicide: Karnataka HC
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court has declined to categorise the statement 'go hang yourself' as abetment of suicide.
Justice M Nagaprasanna addressed the complexity of determining abetment of suicide in cases involving contentious statements.
The recent ruling stemmed from a petition involving allegations of abetment of suicide against a man in connection with the death of a priest in a church in Udupi in coastal Karnataka.
The petitioner was accused of triggering the priest's suicide by allegedly urging him to "go hang himself" during a conversation about the priest's alleged relationship with the petitioner's wife.
The defence counsel argued that the statement was made out of anguish upon discovering the alleged affair, and the priest's decision to end his life was influenced by the affair becoming known to others, rather than solely by the accused's words.
The opposing counsel contended that the priest took his own life due to the accused's threatening language about exposing the affair.
However, the single judge bench, drawing on precedents set by the Supreme Court, emphasised that such statements alone might not constitute abetment to suicide.
The court acknowledged the multifaceted reasons behind the priest's suicide, including the alleged illicit relationship he had despite his role as a father and priest.
Recognising the complexities of human psychology, the court underscored the challenge of deciphering the human mind and declined to categorise the accused's statement as abetment to suicide.
Consequently, the court quashed the case, emphasising the intricate nature of human behaviour and the inability to fully unravel the motivations behind such tragic incidents.
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'Dictatorship' going on in country is unacceptable: Arvind Kejriwal
Chandigarh (PTI): Attacking the BJP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the "dictatorship" allegedly going on in the country is unacceptable and the nation has never seen such a period in the past 75 years.
Kejriwal was addressing Punjab AAP workers and leaders, including MLAs, in Amritsar and asked them to put in their best to ensure AAP's victory in all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.
He slammed the BJP, accusing it of putting all rival party leaders in jail.
"The dictatorship that is going on in our country is not acceptable. India has never seen such a period in the past 75 years, putting opposition leaders in jail," said Kejriwal.
He even sought to liken the situation in India with that of Russia.
"Like in Russia, (Vladimir) Putin had either sent all rival leaders in jail or got them killed and then conducted the elections and got 87 per cent votes. When there is no opposition, you will be the only one who will get votes," he said.
"They put me in jail, (former Delhi deputy CM) Manish Sisodia was put in jail, Congress party's bank account was attached, (they) are troubling TMC, (Tamil Nadu CM MK) Stalin's ministers have been put in jail.
"Put everyone in jail. Then only one party and one leader will remain but democracy will not survive. We do not have to let this happen," said Kejriwal.
Kejriwal came to Punjab on Thursday and held a roadshow in support of AAP's Amritsar candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.
