Court acquits man who 'forced' wife to commit suicide

Citing lack of evidence as a reason, a city court has acquitted a man facing trial for driving his wife to commit suicide, by taunting her for not bearing a male child.

Citing lack of evidence as a reason, a city court has acquitted a man facing trial for driving his wife to commit suicide, by taunting her for not bearing a male child.

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Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau acquitted North-West Delhi resident Om Prakash, and said that to make him liable for the death of his wife, there should be enough evidence "to prove that he had the intention to provoke, incite or encourage the victim to commit suicide so that he could remarry for a male child."

The court, however, said, "Unfortunately in our country, particularly in the society to which the victim and the accused belong, the birth of a female child is not welcomed and there is a clamour for male child where if a woman is unable to bear a boy."

The victim's brother had lodged the case against the accused (Om Prakash) saying that he was a drunkard, who used to beat his sister and taunt her for not bearing him a male child.

According to prosecution, Om Prakash used to torture and harass the victim for not being able to bear a male child and she had committed suicide by hanging herself in her house in November 2007.

While freeing Om Prakash, the court said, the motive on the part of the accused was missing as even after four years of the death of his wife, three daughters whom she had left behind are being taken care of by him and his family.

"In a conventional Indian social system, particularly to which the victim belonged, with an abusive alcoholic husband and the deceased bearing three daughters, the possibility of her being taunted by the husband for not bearing a male child cannot be ruled out. This could have created in her a perception of being persecuted for not bearing a male child which could be imaginary or real," the court said.