Mere Allegation of Mental Harassment Without Specific Act of Abetment Insufficient to Prosecute for Suicide; FIR Quashed Against Minor Brother-in-Law Where Death Itself Was Uncertain Whether Accidental or Suicidal: Punjab and Haryana High Court
Case Name: Akashdeep Singh v. State of Haryana
Date of Judgment: 09 October 2026
Citation: CRM-M-26128-2023
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi
Held: The Punjab and Haryana High Court held that prosecution for abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC could not be sustained against an accused merely on the basis of a general allegation of mental harassment, particularly when no specific act of harassment or abetment was attributed to him and the circumstances of death did not conclusively establish suicide.
The Court observed that neither the complainant’s subsequent statement nor the statement of another family member contained any specific allegation against the petitioner, who was 17 years old at the time of the occurrence. Further, the statements of the loco pilot and railway station master indicated that the deceased had been struck by a train while crossing the railway line, leaving uncertainty as to whether the death was accidental or suicidal.
Summary: The petitioner, Akashdeep Singh, approached the High Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C. seeking quashing of FIR No. 40 dated 21 September 2022, registered under Sections 306 and 34 IPC, alleging abetment of suicide of his brother-in-law, Sarabjit Singh.
The deceased was found dead near a railway track on 5 September 2022. His father subsequently alleged that the deceased had taken his life due to mental harassment by his wife, her brother (the petitioner) and her parents, arising from matrimonial disputes. Following investigation, the wife and petitioner were charge-sheeted, while the wife’s parents were exonerated.
Examining the FIR and statements recorded during investigation, the High Court found that no specific act of harassment or abetment had been attributed to the petitioner. Significantly, the complainant’s subsequent statement under Section 161 Cr.P.C. contained no allegation against him, nor did the statement of the deceased’s cousin.
The Court also considered the statements of the loco pilot and station master, which suggested that the deceased was accidentally struck by a train while crossing the railway line. Consequently, even the nature of death, whether accidental or suicidal, remained uncertain.
In these circumstances, particularly considering the petitioner’s age of 17 years at the time of the incident and the absence of specific allegations, the Court found sufficient grounds to quash the criminal proceedings against him.
Decision: The High Court allowed the petition and quashed FIR No. 40 dated 21 September 2022, registered under Sections 306 and 34 IPC at Police Station GRP Kurukshetra, along with all consequential proceedings, qua petitioner Akashdeep Singh only.