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2006 Supreme(Del) 1172

High Court Of Delhi
Badar Durrez Ahmed
KARTAR SINGH - Appellant
Versus
CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION - Respondents
Crl. Rev. P. 188 Of 2005
Decided On : 07/18/2006

Advocates Appeared:
O.P.SAXENA, R.M.TIWARI

Headnote:Indian Penal Code, 1860 — Sections 306, 107, 498A, 34 — Abetment of suicide — Deceased a married woman committed suicide by hanging in her matrimonial home — Husband of deceased a handicapped man had also committed suicide after birth of a girl — Order passed framing charges against petitioners Parents in law and two brother in laws of deceased for ill-treating and harassing deceased for giving birth to a girl child which brought bad luck to their house — Allegation that petitioners also taunted and harassed deceased for bringing less dowry — Revision petition there against — Word “Instigate” denotes incitement or urging to do some drastic or unalienable action to stimulate or incite — Presence of mens rea, is a necessary concomitant of instigation — Held, an offence u/s 306 IPC was not made out in absence of mens rea even if allegations as per case of prosecution were taken to be true and correct — Even through deceased might have been treated harshly and unfairly — However nothing to prove that petitioners instigated, goaded or incited deceased to commit suicide — Nothing on record to suggest that petitioners had mens rea to drive deceased to commit suicide — Charge u/s 498A IPC was framed as Additional Sessions judge was framing charges u/s 306 IPC which was graver offence — Impugned order set aside so far as charge u/s 306/34 IPC was concerned — Charge u/s 498A/34 IPC remitted back for decision afresh.(Paras 11, 12, 13)

       Facts of the case:

       1.Deceased a married woman herein in the instant case committed suicide by hanging in her matrimonial home. Husband of deceased a handicapped man had also committed suicide after birth of a girl child. An Order was passed framing charges against petitioners, Parents in law and two brother in laws of deceased for ill-treating and harassing deceased for giving birth to a girl child which brought bad luck to their house. As per prosecution case petitioners also taunted and harassed deceased for bringing less dowry.

       2.Present revision petition has been preferred by petitioners challenging impugned order framing charges against them.

       3.Findings of the Court: The Court held that an offence u/s 306 IPC was not made out in absence of mens rea even if allegations as per case of prosecution were taken to be true and correct. Even through deceased might have been treated harshly and unfairly. However nothing to prove that petitioners instigated, goaded or incited deceased to commit suicide. Nothing on record to suggest that petitioners had mens rea to drive deceased to commit suicide. Charge u/s 498A IPC was framed as Additional Sessions judge was framing charges u/s 306 IPC which was graver offence. Impugned order was set aside so far as charge u/s 306/34 IPC was concerned. Charge u/s 498A/34 IPC was remitted back for decision afresh.

       Result : Revision petition disposed of.

       


BADAR DURREZ AHMED, J.

( 1 ) THE petitioners are aggrieved by the order on charge dated 28. 5. 2005 as well as the formal charge framed on the same date by the learned Additional Sessions Judge whereby the petitioners have been charged of having committed offences (i) under Sections 498-A/34, IPC and; (ii) under sections 306/34, IPC. The petitioners are the parents-in-law and two brothers-in-law of the deceased (Shobha ). The said Shobha had committed suicide by hanging herself in the matrimonial home on 1. 3. 2000. She did not leave any suicide note. Her husband [mangal Singh] with whom she was married on 23. 1. 1992 also tragically committed suicide in the year 2001. He was a handicapped person and was on a wheel-chair. It is stated that he committed suicide by driving his wheelchair on to a railway line and he was hit by a moving train.

( 2 ) THE facts as per the prosecution case in brief are that on the night intervening 1st and 2nd March, 2000, the deceased (Shobha) had committed suicide at about 2. 00 a. m. by hanging herself from the ceiling of a room in the matrimonial home. It is alleged that she married Mangal Singh (since deceased) on 23. 1. 1992 and a girl child was born to them in the year 1999. Soon thereafter, in an accident, the said Mangal Singh became paralysed. As noted above, the deceased (Shobha) did not leave any suicide note. It is the case of the prosecution that after her marriage, Shobha was being taunted for bringing less dowry and was being harassed on account thereof. A sum of Rs. 50,000/- is alleged to have been given by her father a few days after her marriage to Mangal Singh for his business as he was allegedly unemployed. It is further the case of the prosecution that mangal Singh squandered the said sum of Rs. 50,000/- in gambling and drinking and thereafter he raised a further demand of Rs. 2 lakhs which could not be fulfilled. The prosecution also alleges that Shobha was ill-treated and harassed by the present petitioners as she was not able to give birth to a child and this harassment continued till 1999 when she gave birth to a girl child as mentioned above. Till 1999, Shobha was being subjected to mental cruelty by being told that her husband would be married elsewhere. 'it is further alleged by the prosecution that since Mangal Singh, shortly after the birth of the girl child, was paralysed on account of the accident, the deceased (Shobha) was being taunted that she gave birth to a girl child which brought bad luck to the petitioners. It is these circumstances which, according to the prosecution, drove the said Shobha to commit suicide. On the basis of these allegations, the learned Additional Sessions Judge came to the following conclusion:"i am of the prima facie opinion that the cumulative effect of the prolonged ill-treatment and harassment of Shobha which compelled her to commit suicide. "

( 3 ) THE learned Counsel for the petitioners pointed out that the case of the prosecution, even if taken in its entirety and is assumed for the purposes of this petition to be established, does not disclose the offence under Section 306, IPC. He submitted that Section 306, IPC has to be read in the light of Section 107, IPC which defines 'abetment'. He submitted that the ingredients of Section 107 are not made out in the present case as there is no instigation or goading. Secondly, there is no allegation of any conspiracy and, thirdly, there is no intentional aiding in the doing of an illegal act. He also submitted that there is no suicide note in the present case. He referred to the following decisions: (i) Hira Lal Jain v. State, 87 (2000) DLT 265=2000 (2) JCC 478 (Delhi); (ii) Netai Dutt v. State of West Bengal, II (2005) SLT 586=i (2005)CCR 212 (SC)=jt 2005 (3) SC 46; (iii) Sanju @ Sanjay Singh Sengar v. State of Madhya Pradesh, III (2002) SLT 513=ii (2002) CCR 189 (SC)=2002 III AD (Cr.) SC 1.

( 4 ) HE referred to these decisions to show that the ingredients of Section 306 were not made ou
















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