Mere breakup can’t be ground for abetment charge: Delhi HC

The accused had “deceived” the woman into a relationship, emotionally influenced her under the pretext of love, and later pressured her to convert her religion.

The Delhi High Court has held that the mere breakup of a romantic relationship cannot automatically be construed as instigation to attract a charge of abetment of suicide, granting bail to a man accused of abetting the suicide of his former partner by allegedly pressuring her to convert her religion.

The accused contended in his petition that the couple had shared a cordial relationship for nearly eight years and had intended to marry.

“Though broken relationships and heartbreaks have become common these days, mere breaking-up of relationship may not per se constitute instigation so as to make it a case of abetment under Section 108 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” a bench of justice Manoj Jain observed in his February 24 order, released later.

The FIR in the case was registered in October 2025 on a complaint filed by the 27-year-old woman’s father, a day after she allegedly died by suicide at her residence. The father stated that his daughter, a school teacher, had been in a relationship with the accused – a Muslim man who is a professor at a university in Delhi.

According to the complaint, the accused had “deceived” the woman into a relationship, emotionally influenced her under the pretext of love, and later pressured her to convert her religion, allegedly telling her that he would marry her only after such conversion. The father alleged that she was under severe mental distress and ultimately took her own life.

Seeking bail, the accused, through senior advocate Amit Chadha, contended in his petition that the couple had shared a cordial relationship for nearly eight years and had intended to marry. However, due to differences between their families – particularly objections from the woman’s father – they were compelled to end the relationship. He said they broke up in February 2025 and that he married another woman on October 19. The woman died by suicide five days later.

Chadha argued that both individuals were consenting adults and that the relationship was voluntary. He maintained that the breakup occurred under parental pressure and suggested that the woman may have taken the extreme step due to personal circumstances. He further pointed out that there was no suicide note or documentary evidence indicating provocation or instigation.

Delhi Police, represented by additional public prosecutor Sunil Kumar Gautam, opposed the bail plea, arguing that the woman was under severe mental stress due to the accused’s conduct, including alleged pressure for conversion and his distancing from her, which prima facie appeared to have contributed to her suicide.

In its six-page order granting bail, the court noted that no complaint had been lodged by the deceased during the eight-year relationship. It also observed that personal diaries recovered from the woman’s residence reflected her emotional state and desire to formalise the relationship.

“Apparently, it seems to be a case of a broken relationship and quite possibly, the deceased, having come to know that the applicant has married someone else, has chosen to finish herself,” the court said.