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News 10 of 20

Punjab & Haryana HC Acquits Stepmother, Rules ‘Go and Die’ Remark Under Section 107 IPC Not Abetment of Suicide Under Section 306

PolityHIGH
Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
07 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:IPC Section 306IPC Section 107IPC Section 354IPC Section 201IPC Section 34Year 2003
Bodies:Punjab and Haryana High CourtSupreme Court of India
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Punjab and Haryana HC acquits stepmother, overturning her 2004 conviction for abetting the suicide of her teenage stepdaughter in a 2003 case.

2.Court held the prosecution failed to prove suicide (lack of post-mortem, FSL report) and that the alleged 'go and die' remark was insufficient to constitute abetment under Section 107 IPC.

3.Judgment cites Supreme Court precedent (Sanju v. State of MP) and highlights examiner traps on the legal ingredients of Sections 306 (Abetment of Suicide) and 107 (Abetment) of the IPC.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Punjab and Haryana High Court's acquittal ruling clarifies the legal distinction between a stray remark and criminal abetment of suicide, a critical concept for understanding Sections 306 and 107 of the IPC. This judgment reinforces evidentiary standards in criminal law, requiring proof of suicide and specific intention to instigate it. Aspirants must grasp this to avoid traps in polity and law-based questions.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

High CourtPunjab and Haryana High Court
IPC Sections Involved306, 107, 354, 201, 34
Year of Incident2003
Supreme Court PrecedentSanju @ Sanjay Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2002)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›High Court: Punjab and Haryana High Court
  • ›IPC Sections Involved: 306, 107, 354, 201, 34
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Distinction between Sections 306 (Abetment of Suicide) and 107 (Abetment) of IPC.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Punjab and Haryana High Court (Common High Court for Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh).
  • ›Target this Legal Precedent: Sanju @ Sanjay Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2002).

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which High Court delivered the judgment acquitting the stepmother in the case related to abetment of suicide?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the judgment mentioned in the news:

1. The High Court ruled that the 'go and die' remark constituted abetment under Section 107 of the IPC.

2. The prosecution failed to establish the death as a suicide due to lack of medical evidence like a post-mortem report.

3. The judgment referred to the Supreme Court case of Sanju @ Sanjay Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2002).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

In which year was the father convicted by the trial court in the case?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What was the primary legal reason the High Court gave for acquitting the stepmother, even assuming the death was a suicide?

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