The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Monday upheld a 2016 acquittal in a sensitive suicide-abetment case, refusing to interfere with the trial court’s findings after re-examining the entire record. The bench, hearing the matter at Jammu, noted that the prosecution’s version “kept shifting like loose sand” and lacked credible material to tie the accused to the woman’s tragic death in 2011.
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Background
The case began with the death of 28-year-old Arti Devi, who was found hanging in her matrimonial home on 27 July 2011. Her father had alleged that she was frequently taunted for not conceiving even five years into marriage. Three family members-her husband Sanjay Singh, father-in-law Lakshman Singh, and mother-in-law Satya Devi-were tried under Section 306 of the Ranbir Penal Code, which deals with abetment of suicide.
However, in 2016, the Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, acquitted all three, ruling that the evidence did not cross the threshold required to convict a person of instigating suicide. The State challenged that decision in 2020, arguing that the trial court had ignored crucial testimony and had been overly cautious in granting the accused the benefit of doubt.
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Court’s Observations
During Monday’s hearing, the Division Bench appeared unconvinced by the State’s arguments. Justice Sanjay Parihar, writing for the bench, remarked that appellate courts must tread carefully when asked to overturn an acquittal. “There is always a double presumption of innocence,” the bench observed, “and unless the prosecution brings something solid to the table, the benefit must naturally go to the accused.”
The judges went through the depositions of the key witnesses-including the deceased’s father, brother, and cousin-and found that their accounts differed significantly on important points. One witness suggested Arti was taunted for childlessness; another admitted that no such taunts were ever communicated to him; a third claimed the husband might have physically harmed her, but without any earlier complaint or proof.
The bench commented pointedly: “What the witnesses described appears to be normal domestic differences. Those cannot, by themselves, be stretched into a conclusion of abetment.”
The medical evidence also played a crucial role. The post-mortem report confirmed death by hanging with no external injuries, ruling out assault. The claim that the family first tried to portray the death as a heart attack was also found to be an “improvement developed during trial,” as it didn't appear in the initial complaint.
The bench added that being a habitual drinker-an allegation repeatedly made against the husband-may indicate poor behaviour but cannot automatically translate into abetment unless a direct link to instigation is proved. “People react differently to stress, but the law demands proof of intentional push,” the court said, emphasising the need for specific acts capable of driving a person to suicide.
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Decision
After reviewing the evidence and the trial court’s reasoning, the High Court concluded that the acquittal was justified. It said the prosecution had failed to demonstrate cruelty, dowry harassment, or any intentional act that could legally constitute abetment.
Holding that “no perversity or error” existed in the 2016 judgment, the bench dismissed the State’s appeal and upheld the acquittal of all three respondents.
The matter ended with the court affirming the trial court’s decision and directing that the appeal file be closed.
Case Title: State of J&K vs. Sanjay Singh & Others- Appeal Against Acquittal in 2011 Suicide Case Dismissed by J&K High Court.
Court: High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Jammu Bench
Case No.: CrlA (AD) No. 7/2020
Date of Decision: 03 November 2025