Bengaluru: HC quashes case against three accused in Soundarya Jagadish suicide case

In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court has quashed the case against three individuals accused of abetment in the suicide of film producer Soundarya Jagadish. The accused, V.S. Suresh, S.P. Hombanna, and manager S. Sudheendra, had filed a petition seeking to dismiss the charges against them.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna of the single-bench court delivered the verdict, ruling in favor of the accused. The court agreed with the defense argument that there was no mention of abetment or incitement to suicide in the death note left by Soundarya Jagadish. Consequently, the case against the three accused has been annulled.

However, the court clarified that the judgment does not apply to any other ongoing disputes between the accused and the deceased. The court’s ruling only addresses the specific allegations related to abetment of suicide.

Defense Arguments
The defense lawyers argued that the charges were filed based on the death note found a month after Soundarya Jagadish’s suicide. However, the note did not directly implicate the accused in prompting the act. Therefore, the defense sought the dismissal of the case.

In response, the lawyer representing Soundarya Jagadish’s wife, Shashirekha, requested the court not to halt the ongoing investigation. The wife also raised concerns, alleging that Jagadish was a victim of blackmail. The accused, Suresh, had reportedly threatened to reveal certain sensitive details, which she believes might have contributed to Jagadish’s suicide. Shashirekha urged the court to dismiss the petition for quashing the case.

Background of the Case
On April 18, producer Soundarya Jagadish was found dead by suicide at his residence. A month later, on May 18, a death note was discovered while cleaning his wardrobe. The note reportedly mentioned the names of the accused, leading Jagadish’s wife to file a complaint with the police. Based on this, the police initiated an investigation into the matter.

Despite the court’s decision to quash the case, the investigation into other aspects of the incident will continue.

Suicide is preventable. If you get any such thoughts, consult or seek expert help.

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