Wife can't be blamed for husband's suicide merely because she filed cruelty complaint: Punjab and Haryana High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently observed that a wife cannot be blamed for the suicide of her husband merely on the ground that she had filed a complaint alleging cruelty by him [Karamjeet Kaur Vs State of Punjab And Others]..In a case of abetment of suicide of a man against his wife and her siblings, Justice Harkesh Manuja rejected the contention that alleged false implication in the cruelty case filed by his wife could have instigated him to take the extreme step.“It cannot be accepted that when a person suffering from cruelty makes a complaint and later on the alleged accused commits suicide then the victim becomes responsible for the extreme step,” said the Court..The case pertains to the death of 27-year-old Satnam Singh (victim) who died by suicide within days of his wife lodging a First Information Report (FIR) accusing him of drug addiction and forced “unnatural sex”.Singh’s mother later filed a complaint before the police alleging that her son's wife and her two siblings would pressurise him by demanding money and jewellery. It was also alleged that they implicated Singh in a false case.However, the accused were acquitted by the Session Court in Mansa last year. The victim’s mother then moved an appeal before the High Court against the acquittal..The primary question before the High Court was whether the victim had resorted to the extreme step due to the instigation on part of his wife and her siblings and whether lodging of an FIR against him could be construed as abetment of suicide under Section 306 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).After examining the provision, the Court concluded that there should be positive evidence on record to prove that the accused, by way of conduct or spoken words, overtly or covertly, actually aided and abetted or instigated the deceased in such a manner that it left him with no other option but to commit suicide..In the present case, the Court found that the victim’s wife despite being subjected to repeated acts of cruelty by her husband remained hopeful for more than 11 months after their marriage that he would mend his ways.It was only after the husband “crossed his limits” and gave beatings to her while she was pregnant, she lost her patience and left the matrimonial home, the Court noted..Thus, the Court concluded that the victim’s wife and her siblings cannot be said to have actively connived to force him to commit suicide when she had left her matrimonial home a month before the evidence.It also opined that the alleged false implication in the FIR registered by the victim’s wife “cannot by any means be said to be an instigation/abetment” on her part.“Trial Court while dealing with this question has rightly held that when the battered wife took recourse to legal action against her husband then the deceased husband being a police official himself realized that he will have to face the consequences of his degenerate actions, took this drastic step and not due to his wife’s recourse to legal action,” Justice Manuja added..The Court also rejected the argument with regard to the withdrawal of the complaint by the wife against her husband.“For lack of evidence to the contrary, the reason of respondent No.3 [wife] for not choosing to appear in that complaint case might infer that she intends to go forward in life and does not want to press any kind of litigation which may re-agitate her mental trauma,” it reasoned..Finding no illegality in acquittal of the accused, the Court dismissed the appeal.Advocate JK Singla represented the appellant.Assistant Advocate General Gurlal Singh Dhillon represented the State of Punjab.[Read Judgment]