Saying ‘go and hang yourself’ isn’t abetment to suicide: HC

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BENGALURU:

Karnataka high court

has held that the mere utterance of “go and hang yourself” can’t be construed as abetment to suicide, acquitting an accused who vented out his ire at a priest for having an illicit affair with his wife.
“What is required is an intentional mindset of the accused which would be mens rea (intention of wrongdoing),” Justice M Nagaprasanna said.

A Udupi resident was accused of abetting the suicide of a school principal and junior priest of a parish who ended his life on Oct 11, 2019.
“If the facts in the case at hand are considered, on the touchstone of the principles laid down by SC, what would unmistakably emerge is that the petitioner — the husband of the woman with whom the deceased priest had certain relationship — had blurted out his anger and uttered the words ‘go and hang yourself’. This can’t become abetment to suicide,” the

court

noted.