'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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15 passengers sustain minor injuries after KSRTC bus overturns in Karnataka's Chitradurga district
Chitradurga (Karnataka) (PTI): Fifteen passengers sustained minor injuries after the KSRTC bus they were travelling in overturned after the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle in this district on Tuesday morning, police said.
The accident occurred near Heggare in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district at around 7 am, they said.
According to police, the bus was en route from Raichur to Bengaluru when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, hit a divider and the bus overturned.
Fifteen passengers sustained minor injuries and were shifted to the Challakere Government Hospital, they said.
The accident is suspected to have occurred due to the driver losing control after falling asleep, police said.
Further investigation is underway, they added.
