Supreme Court Acquits Woman in Abetment Case, Says Neighbourhood Quarrels Don’t Amount to Abetment of Suicide

The Supreme Court sets aside the conviction of a woman under Section 306 of the IPC for abetting her neighbour’s suicide, holding that heated exchanges or physical scuffles among neighbours cannot automatically amount to abetment.

The Court stressed that there must be a clear intent to instigate or provoke the victim to take such a drastic step.

The bench emphasised that mere quarrels, though unpleasant, are commonplace in community living and do not fulfil the legal threshold of mens rea or instigation necessary for convicting someone.

[Geeta v The State of Karnataka]