New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has stated that individuals cannot be held accountable for the suicide of a romantic partner due to love failure. Justice Amit Mahajan, delivering the judgement, emphasized that others cannot be accused of abetting suicide for the unfortunate decision made by a person with a fragile mental state.
The judgement was issued while granting anticipatory bail to a woman and a man in an abetment of suicide case. The case revolved around the tragic demise of a man involved in a romantic relationship with one of the applicants.
According to reports, the deceased’s father filed a complaint alleging that the applicants, by making false promises of marriage and engaging in physical intimacy, had driven his son to suicide.
However, Justice Mahajan, upon reviewing WhatsApp conversations and the purported suicide note, observed the deceased’s sensitive nature and his tendency to threaten suicide whenever his romantic advances were rebuffed. The court pointed out that while the suicide note mentioned the applicants, it did not contain threats of such severity as to prompt a “normal person” to consider suicide.
While acknowledging the anguish expressed by the deceased towards the applicants in the suicide note, the court cautioned against inferring malicious intent on their part. It stressed that the trial would assess the authenticity of the suicide note and determine whether the applicants had instigated the deceased.
The ruling provides clarity on the legal ramifications of suicides linked to failed romantic relationships, highlighting the importance of considering the individual circumstances and mental state of the deceased before assigning blame to others.