PUNE: A Pune sessions court has acquitted a 35-year-old man accused of abetting the suicide of his wife in 2016, holding that the prosecution failed to establish that he subjected her to physical or mental cruelty or provoked her to take the extreme step.
Additional Sessions Judge Aniruddha Sulabha Subhash Gandhi acquitted Vijay Dinkar Desai in the case registered with Sinhagad Road police under Sections 498-A (cruelty by husband or relatives) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
“It cannot be said that the accused abetted the deceased Pooja to commit suicide,” the court observed in its September 19 judgment, uploaded on September 23.
According to the prosecution, Pooja married Desai in 2012 and the couple later moved to a flat at Nehagaon. Her mother, Vaishali Dnyandeo Jadhav, alleged that Desai harassed Pooja over her father’s alcohol addiction, objected to her working and suspected her character. The prosecution also alleged that he subjected her to harassment over her brother’s interfaith marriage.
Pooja died on September 18, 2016, after allegedly hanging herself. Her mother lodged a complaint three days later. During the investigation, police arrested Desai and seized a note allegedly written by Pooja, a scarf and a grocery notebook.
{{/usCountry}}Pooja died on September 18, 2016, after allegedly hanging herself. Her mother lodged a complaint three days later. During the investigation, police arrested Desai and seized a note allegedly written by Pooja, a scarf and a grocery notebook.
{{/usCountry}}Assistant public prosecutor MK Aurangabadkar represented the prosecution, while advocate Vaibhav Mehta appeared for Desai.
The court noted the delay in filing the complaint. It also observed that Pooja’s mother had not complained against Desai when police met the family at the hospital, while her brother gave a written statement stating that he had no complaint against anyone.
The court found that key witnesses did not corroborate the allegations of harassment. It also noted that there was no evidence of a quarrel between the couple immediately before the incident.
The court considered Desai’s conduct after Pooja was found in distress, noting that he arranged for her to be taken to hospital.
Holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond the required standard, the court acquitted Desai under Section 235(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.