SC’s abetment ruling may affect Rathore

The Supreme Court ruled there has to be clear intent and positive act on the part of an accused to convict him of abetment to suicide, reports Satya Prakash.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled there has to be clear intent and positive act on the part of an accused to convict him of abetment to suicide.

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The verdict coincided with the Haryana Police filing an FIR against disgraced former state police chief S.P.S. Rathore, for allegedly abetting Ruchika Girhotra’s suicide in 1993, three years after he molested her.

Allowing the appeal of a farmer convicted of abetting a farm hand’s suicide, the court said: “Without positive act, conviction cannot be sustained.”

The ruling might have a bearing on the case against Rathore, accused of driving Ruchika to suicide by allegedly getting her expelled from school and her brother implicated in false cases.

The court, however, said: “It is impossible to lay down any straight jacket formula... Each case has to be decided on its own facts and circumstances.”