Holding

The conviction under Section 306 IPC cannot be sustained as the prosecution failed to prove any act of incitement, thereby setting aside the conviction.

Summary

The appellant, Kishori Lal, was convicted under Section 306 of the IPC for abetment of his wife Rajkumari's suicide. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had established any act of incitement or assistance by the husband, as required under Section 107 IPC. It held that "abetment" requires direct or indirect acts of instigation, conspiracy, or intentional aid, and mere cruelty or marital discord is insufficient. Evidence showed the deceased was distressed over childlessness, not due to any act of the husband. Consequently, the prosecution failed to prove the essential element of abetment, and the conviction was set aside. The appeal was allowed, and the appellant was discharged.

Issues considered

Whether the prosecution proved the essential element of abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC.
Interpretation of "instigate" and "abetment" under Section 107 IPC in the context of suicide.
Whether the presumption under Section 113A of the Indian Evidence Act applies to sustain the conviction.

Legislation cited

Indian Evidence Act, 1872s. 113A
Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 107, s. 109, s. 306

Subjects

abetment of suicideSection 306 IPCSection 107 IPCinstigationcrueltychildlessnessburden of proofIndian Evidence Act 113A

Judgment

' KISHORI LAL A
-.,,
v.
STA TE OF M.P.

JUNE 19, 2007

[DR. ARIJIT PASA YAT AND D.K. JAIN, JJ.] B

Penal Code, I 860:
'
ss. 306 and I 07-Suicide by wife-Conviction of husband for abetment
of suicide-Challenge against-Held: There is no proof of direct or indirect c
acts of incitement to the commission of suicide-Evidence show that deceased
was disturbed due to her failure to beget a child-Prosecution has failed to
establish its case-Conviction set aside.

Words and Phrases:
D
'Abetment' and 'instigate'-Meaning of-Discussed.
-f
Deceased had committed suicide. Trial Court convicted appellant
husband for abetment of suicide under s.306 IPC. High Court affirmed the
conviction.
E
In appeal to this Court, appellant contended that there was no evidence
led to show that he was in any manner responsible for suicide; that the alleged
torture done by the appellant as spoken by the mother of the deceased related
to the alleged incident about 4-5 years prior to the occurrence and that the
post-mortem did not reveal any mark of violence.
F
_)
Allowing the appeal, the Court

HELD: 1. S.107 IPC defines abetment of a thing. A person, abets the
doing of a thing when (1) he instigates any person to do that thing; or (2)
engages with one or more other persons in any conspiracy for the doing of G
that thing; or (3) intentionally aids, by act or illegal mission, the doing of
that thing. These things are essential to complete abetment as a crime. The
wc;rd "instigate" literally means to provoke, incite, urge on or bring about by
-·\ persuasion to do any thing. The abetment may be by instigation, conspiracy

1051 H
1052 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007) 7 S.C.R.

A or intentional aid, as pro,·ided in the three clauses of s.107. S.109 provides
that if the act abetted is committed in consequence of abetment and there is
no provision for the punishment of such abetment, then the qffender is to be
punished with the punishment provided for the original offence. 'Abetted' in
s.109 means the specific offence abetted. Therefore, the offence for the
B abetment of which a person is charged with the abetment is normally linked
with the proved offence. IPara 6111053-G, 1054-A, B, CJ

2. In cases of alleged abetment of suicide, there must be proof of direct
or indirect acts of incitement to the commission of suicide. The mere fact
that the husband treated the deceased-wife with cruelty is not enough. Merely
C on the allegation of harassment, conviction in terms of s.306 IPC is not
sustainable. There is ample evidence on record that the deceased was
disturbed because she had not given birth to any child. PWs. 8, 10, and 11
have categorically stated that the deceased was disappointed due to her failure
to beget a child and she was upset due to this. In the background facts, it is
crystal clear that the prosecution has failed to establish its case.
D (Paras 7 and 8) (1054-C, D, E)

Mahinder Singh v. State of MP., (1995) AIR SCW 4570, relied on.

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal Nos. 1115 of
1999.
E
From the Final Order and Judgment and dated 06.05.1988 of the High
Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur in Criminal Appeal No. 172 of 1984.

Shankar Divate, (A.C) for the Appellant.

F Merusagar Samantarary, Vairagya Vardhan and C.D. Singh for the
Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

DR. ARIJIT PASA YAT, J. 1. Challenge in this appeal is to the order
G passed by the learned Single Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court,
dismissing the appeal filed by the appellant questioning his conviction under
Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short 'IPC') and sentencing
him to undergo RI for five years.

2. The background facts in a nutshell are as follows:
H
I
KISHORI LAL v.STATEOFM.P.tPASAYAT.J.) 1053
Appellant was married to Rajkumari (hereinafter referred to as the A
·deceased'). On 31.8.1982 she committed suicide. On the basis of information
lodged by the accused investigation was undertaken. The accused was
arrested for allegedly having abetted deceased to commit suicide on 31.8.1982.'
According to the prosecution in the evening of 31.8.1982 the accused left for
his duty leaving the deceased in the house. In the evening when he reached B
the house the room was found closed from inside and the deceased did not
respond to his call for opening the door. Apprehending that there was
something wrong, he went to Police Station and lodged the report. The police
went with him and with the help of persons of the locality broke open the
door and found that the deceased had committed suicide by hanging from the
roof. After completion of investigation charge sheet was placed and the C
accused pleaded innocence.

3. Primarily relying on the evidence of PWs. 8, I 0 and : I the Trial Court
came to hold that the accused had abetted suicide. Accordingly the conviction
was recorded and sentence was imposed. Appeal before the High Court did
not bring any relief to the appellant. D
4. In support of the appeal, learned counsel for the appellant submitted
that the witnesses PWs.8, JO, and 11 who are the brothers and the mother
of the deceased clearly stated that after living together for long years some
differences cropped up between the deceased and the accused and, therefore,
she started living in the house of the parents. On the persuasions of the E
father-in-law and the brother-in-law she came to the accused's house about
a month before the date of occurrence. There was no evidence led to show
that the accused was in any manner responsible for suicide. The so-called
alleged torture done by the accused as spoken by the mother of the deceased
related to the alleged incident about 4-5 years prior to the occurrence. The p
post-mortem also did not reveal any mark of violence. In fact, the so called
marks were stated to be several· days old and there was no evidence to
conclude that those injuries were inflicted by the accused.

5. On the other hand, learned counsel for the State submitted that the
presumption ava;lable under Section I l3A of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 G
(for short 'the Act') can be pressed into service. He, however, fairly conceded
that the marriage was more than a decade old when the alleged occurrence
took place.

6. Section I 07 IPC defines abetment of a thing. The offence of abetment
H
1054 SUPREME COURT REPORTS 12007) 7 S.C.R.

A is a separate and distinct offence provided in the Act as an offence. A person.
abets the doing of a thing when (I) he instigates any person to do that thing:
or (2) engages with one or more other persons in any conspiracy for the doing
• of that thing; or (3) intentionally aids, by act or illegal omission, the doing
of that thing. These things are essential to complete abetment as a crime. The
B word "instigate" literally means to provoke, incite, urge on or bring about by
persuasion to do any thing. The abetment may be by instigation, conspiracy
or intentional aid, as provided in the three clauses of Section 107. Section I 09
provides that if the act abetted is committed in consequence of abetment and
there is no provision for the punishment of such abetment, then the offender
is to be punished with the punishment provided for the original offence.
C 'Abetted' in Section 109 means the specific offence abetted. Therefore, the
offence for the abetment of which a person is charged with the abetment is
normally linked with the proved offence

7. In cases of alleged abetment of suicide there must be proof of direct
or indirect acts of incitement to the commission of suicide. The mere fact that
D the husband treated the deceased-wife with cruelty is not enough. [See
Mahinder Singh v. State of MP., (1995) AIR SCW 4570]. Merely on the
allegation of harassment conviction in tenns of Section 306 IPC is not
sustainable. There is ample evidence on record that the deceased was
disturbed because she had not given birth to any child. PWs. 8, IO, and 11
E have categorically stated that the deceased was disappointed due to the said
fact and her failure to beget a child and she was upset due to this.

8. If the background facts are analysed it is crystal clear that the
prosecution has failed to establish its case. That being so, the appeal deserves
to be allowed, which we direct.
F
9. The bail bonds of the accused executed for bail on 6.1.1999 shall
stand discharged. We record our appreciation for the able assistance rendered
by Shri Shankar Divate, learned amicus curiae.

D.G. Appeal allowed.