HC upholds acquittal of man, mother accused of wife’s suicide

The Bombay high court (HC) recently upheld the acquittal of a man and his mother accused of ill-treating the man’s wife which allegedly led her to commit suicide

The Bombay high court (HC) recently upheld the acquittal of a man and his mother accused of ill-treating the man’s wife which allegedly led her to commit suicide on January 2, 2001.

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The HC held that though in her dying statement, the woman blamed the man and his mother of ill-treatment which forced her to take the drastic step, the cruelty was not enough to instigate her to commit suicide.

The court held that the victim’s dying statement was not corroborated by the deposition of her son (sole eye-witness) and other witnesses, hence it was unable to conclude that the suicide was due to the actions of the husband and mother-in-law.

The bench of justice KR Shriram, while hearing the appeal by the state against the 2002 acquittal order of the Satara sessions court, was informed that based on the victim Ratnabai’s dying statement, cases of abetment of suicide were registered against her husband Pradeep Bhoite and his mother Kamal. However, the Satara sessions court had acquitted them in the case.