Intent to commit suicide is not a crime: HC

Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court clarifies that the expression of intent to commit suicide is not a crime.

The court added that those attempting to commit suicide would be penalised with a “simple imprisonment that may be extended to one year or with fine, or both”. It also emphasised that only those who were unsuccessful at attempting suicide could be booked under IPC section 309.

The judgement was made after a youth S Kaviraj from Chitradurga had left home in 2016 intending to commit suicide.

Kaviraj had allegedly that he was being harassed he had left a suicide note which was found by his father, Shankar Naik, who took the note to the police station and threatened consequences if anything were to happen to his son. Kaviraj was later found at a lodge in Tumakuru.

Kaviraj was subsequently booked for attempting suicide.

However, the high court said that though Kaviraj had told his friend that he wanted to die, there was no evidence that the accused had made an attempt to committ suicide.