The Karnataka High Court has declined to quash proceedings against a man in connection with the alleged abetment of his live-in partner’s suicide, observing that the facts of the case had to come out in a trial.
The order was passed on Wednesday by a bench consisting of Justice M Nagaprasanna after the accused approached the high court to quash the proceedings against him under the Indian Penal code and sections of the Information Technology Act.
“The nuances and textures of this tragic narrative must be unfolded in a full-blown trial,” the court stated, adding, “It cannot be forgotten that a young life has been extinguished in a manner that raises grave concern.”
The accused and his partner had been in a relationship for three years and the man had allegedly promised to marry the woman. However, the woman died by suicide in December 2023, following which her father filed a complaint against her partner.
The counsel for the accused argued that the statements referred to in the complaint, such as “go and die” or “do whatever you want”, could not alone be considered as abetment to suicide. He also argued that the deceased had been suffering from depression due to loss in investments and health issues.
The opposing counsel stated that the investment losses faced by the accused and the deceased were beside the matter, and alleged that the accused had blackmailed her for money from time to time using her nude photographs which were in his possession. He also pointed out that the Forensic Science Lab had retrieved the images from the accused’s phone, stating that a sum of Rs 51 lakh had been extorted.
The court stated that this was a matter that had to come out in the trial. It said, “It is the submission of the learned Additional State Public Prosecutor that the petitioner has blackmailed or threatened the deceased to part with close to Rs 50 lakh through credit card or otherwise for his business or business of both…”
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“(It) is a matter of trial as laptop and mobile phone of the petitioner is full of pictures and videos between the deceased and the petitioner, all taken during the live-in relationship of the petitioner with the deceased,” it added.
Refusing to quash the criminal proceedings, the court stated, ” …the contents of the phones, the FSL report and the testimonies recorded, do not allow this Court to step into the shoes of the trial Court. The plea that this is a case of mere scorned affection or a casual taunt cannot be countenanced when placed against the backdrop of deliberate humiliation and alleged extortion.”
