To establish abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC, there must be a clear proximate link between the accused's actions and the suicide, which was not present in this case.

ORDER :

Juvvadi Sridevi, J.

This Criminal Petition is filed by the petitioner-accused No.3 seeking to quash the proceedings against her in S.C.No.34 of 2024 on the file of the learned Principal Assistant Sessions Judge, Mancherial, registered for the offence under Section 306 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (for short ‘ IPC ’).

2. Heard Sri Anuganti Praneeth, learned counsel for the petitioner-accused and Sri M.Ramachandra Reddy, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State- respondent No.1. Even after service of notice, none appeared on behalf of unofficial respondent No.2. Perused the record.

3(a). The brief facts of the prosecution case are as follows: One Smt.Pasupunuti @ Chatla Thirumaleshwari, W/o.Sampath (hereinafter referred to as “the deceased”), was working as a Junior Lecturer at TSWRS (Girls), Chennur. The accused Nos.1 to 5 are her colleagues working in the same institution. During the course of her employment, the deceased was entrusted with additional charge as Mess In-Charge. Owing to the said additional responsibility, the deceased was allegedly under mental stress and was suffering from depression. On 15.10.2023 at about 17:00 hours, the deceased telephoned her husband and informed him that her colleagues, namely the accused Nos.1 to 5, were subjecting her to mental harassment.

3(b). Upon receiving the said information, the husband of the deceased immediately went to the college, discussed the matter with the accused No.1, and thereafter took the deceased to their residence. On 16.10.2023 at about 06:00 hours, the husband of the deceased dropped her at the school. Thereafter, the deceased proceeded to Pedda Cheruvu, Chennur. Being unable to cope with the alleged work pressure and mental stress, she committed suicide by drowning in Pedda Cheruvu.

3(c). At about 08:00 hours on the same day, the husband of the deceased attempted to contact her over the phone; however, she did not respond. He then contacted the school staff to enquire about her whereabouts and was informed that she had not reported to duty. Subsequently, when he again dialed the deceased’s mobile phone, an unknown person answered the call and informed him that the deceased’s mobile phone and bag were found near Pedda Cheruvu, Chennur and at about 09:30 hours, the husband of the deceased rushed to Pedda Cheruvu, Chennur, where he found the dead body of the deceased. The dead body of the deceased was shifted to the Community Health Centre, Chennur, where the duty doctor examined the deceased and declared that she was brought dead. Thereafter, upon verifying the mobile phone of the deceased, the husband found certain voice recordings, wherein the deceased stated that the accused Nos.1 to 5 had mentally tortured and harassed her. On the basis of the said allegations, it is contended that the accused Nos.1 to 5 had committed offence punishable under Section 306 read with Section 34 of IPC .

4(a). Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner-accused No.3 has no involvement whatsoever in the alleged offences. It is contended that the petitioner- accused No.3 was appointed as Physical Education Teacher in the year 2023. In the 9^th Zonal Level Sports Meet for the year 2023-24 from 13.10.2023 to 16.10.2023, the petitioner was included in the Transportation Committee and the deceased was included in the Food Committee. The petitioner and the deceased were in different committees and there was no occasion for them to work together and the petitioner had no role in the suicide committed by the deceased. In the absence of proximate live link between the petitioner-accused No.3 and the deceased, in connection with the death of the deceased. There is nothing to indicate that there was instigation or abetment by the petitioner- accused No.3 which had driven the deceased to take extreme step of committing suicide. The Police filed the charge sheet without proper