Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court, in a recent ruling, declined to categorize the statement “go hang yourself” as abetment of suicide, addressing the intricacies involved in determining abetment of suicide, particularly in cases where contentious statements are made. The ruling stemmed from a petition involving accusations of abetment of suicide against a man in connection with the death of a priest in a Udupi church in coastal Karnataka.
The petitioner faced accusations of triggering the priest’s suicide by allegedly urging him to “go hang himself” during a conversation about the priest’s alleged relationship with the petitioner’s wife. The defence counsel argued that the statement was made out of anguish upon discovering the alleged affair. The counsel further asserted that the priest’s decision to end his life was influenced by the affair becoming known to others, rather than solely by the accused’s words.
In contrast, the opposing counsel contended that the priest took his own life due to the accused’s threatening language about exposing the affair. However, the single judge bench, drawing on precedents set by the Supreme Court, emphasized that such statements alone might not constitute abetment to suicide.
The court acknowledged the multifaceted reasons behind the priest’s suicide, including the alleged illicit relationship he had despite his role as a father and priest. Recognising the complexities of human psychology, the court underscored the challenge of deciphering the human mind and declined to categorise the accused’s statement as abetment to suicide. The court dismissed the case, stating, “The reason for the deceased to commit suicide in the case at hand may be myriad, one of which could be the factum of him having an illicit relationship with the wife of the petitioner, despite being the father and priest of a church. It is trite that the human mind is an enigma and the task of unravelling the mystery of the human mind can never be accomplished.”
Consequently, the court quashed the case, emphasizing the intricate nature of human behavior and the inability to fully unravel the motivations behind such tragic incidents.