Presumption as to abetment of suicide by a married woman
Full Text
When the question is whether the commission of suicide by a woman had been abetted by her husband or any relative of her husband and it is shown that she had committed suicide within a period of seven years from the date of her marriage and that her husband or such relative of her husband had subjected her to cruelty, the Court may presume, having regard to all the other circumstances of the case, that such suicide had been abetted by her husband or by such relative of her husband.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, “cruelty” shall have the same meaning as in section 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Plain English Summary
If a married woman commits suicide within 7 years of marriage and was subjected to cruelty by her husband/relatives, the court may presume they abetted the suicide.
Key Legal Elements
- Suicide committed by a woman
- Within 7 years of marriage
- Proof of cruelty by husband or his relatives
- Court may presume abetment of suicide
Practical Note
This is a 'May Presume' section, giving the court discretion. It is often invoked alongside 498A IPC (now 86 BNS) to address dowry deaths and domestic violence leading to suicide. The 7-year timeframe is a crucial legal threshold.
हिंदी पाठ
किसी विवाहित स्त्री द्वारा आत्महत्या के दुष्प्रेरण के बारे में उपधारणा — जब प्रश्न यह है कि किसी स्त्री द्वारा की गई आत्महत्या का दुष्प्रेरण उसके पति या उसके पति के किसी नातेदार ने किया था और यह दर्शित किया जाता है कि उसने अपने विवाह की तारीख से सात वर्ष की अवधि के भीतर आत्महत्या की थी और यह कि उसके पति या उसके पति के ऐसे नातेदार ने उसके प्रति क्रूरता की थी, तब न्यायालय, मामले की अन्य सभी परिस्थितियों को ध्यान में रखते हुए, यह उपधारणा कर सकेगा कि ऐसी आत्महत्या उसके पति या उसके पति के ऐसे नातेदार द्वारा दुष्प्रेरित की गई थी।
स्पष्टीकरण — इस धारा के प्रयोजनों के लिए, 'क्रूरता' का वही अर्थ होगा जो भारतीय न्याय संहिता, 2023 की धारा 86 में है।