ANI
11 Jul 2025, 18:07 GMT+10
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has upheld the acquittal of a woman and her four brothers in a case involving allegations of abetment to the suicide of her husband.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, delivering the verdict on July 10, stated that criminal conviction demands clear, direct, and proximate evidence and the court found no act of instigation, provocation, or encouragement by the accused that could be linked to the deceased's decision to take his own life.
The case traces back to April 2010, when husband, Vijay Singh, died by suicide, two years after his marriage to Urmila. A suicide note submitted by his father alleged mental harassment and threats of false dowry accusations by Urmila and her family.
However, the court noted that the language used in the note was general and accusatory, lacking the specificity required to establish legal culpability.
Importantly, the court questioned the timing of the note, observing that it might have been penned earlier, in a state of emotional turmoil, rather than immediately before the suicide.
Allegations from Singh's family centred around claims that Urmila and her brothers had issued threats and subjected him to harassment. Yet, the High Court found these allegations to be vague, unsupported by concrete incidents or dates, and insufficient to sustain charges under Section 306 of the IPC, which pertains to abetment of suicide.
During the trial, Singh's parents also testified to marital discord and alleged acts of cruelty by Urmila, including attempted self-harm. But the bench noted that these statements were suggestive of her own emotional distress, rather than evidence of any intentional conduct aimed at driving her husband to suicide.
Concluding there was no 'positive action' by the accused that directly contributed to the tragic outcome, the High Court dismissed the appeal against their acquittal.
'In the absence of specific and immediate acts of instigation, the charges of abetment cannot be sustained,' the court held. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of India Gazette news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to India Gazette.
More InformationBASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Financial markets kicked off the week on a cautious note as President Donald Trump rolled out a fresh round...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
SMPL New Delhi [India], July 11: Four years, Three continents, Two best-in-class universities and Two degrees. Symbiosis International...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has upheld the acquittal of a woman and her four brothers in a case involving...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): There are four teams Italy, Netherlands, Jersey and Scotland who are running for two spots on the...
Rio showed that the bloc isnt in crisis its in transition The idea of a multipolar world has long been used in two distinct contexts....
New Delhi is introducing a $156 million-subsidy to assist domestic producers of the crucial component for the high-technology industry...