Extramarital Affair = Abetment of Suicide? SC Ruling Spells Danger

The Supreme Court ignored its own past judgments to say evidence of an affair is enough to prove abetment of suicide

In a troubling development, the Supreme Court recently upheld the conviction of a Karnataka man for abetment of his wife’s suicide because of his “illicit relationship with another woman”.

The judgment, written by Justice R Banumathi, is worrying not only because it appears to have allowed conservative morality to dictate legality, but also because to do so, it ignores clear and established precedent laid down by the Supreme Court itself.

What Happened in This Case?