The Supreme Court on Tuesday brought closure to a long-running criminal case from Karnataka, acquitting a woman who had spent nearly two decades defending herself against charges of abetment of suicide. The case stemmed from the tragic self-immolation of a young woman, Sarika, in 2008, after repeated quarrels with her neighbour, Geeta.
Background
Sarika, a 25-year-old student who also gave private tuitions, had accused Geeta, her neighbour, of harassment and verbal abuse. According to her dying declaration, Geeta often mocked her for being unmarried and allegedly used derogatory language. On August 12, 2008, after a heated exchange, Sarika set herself ablaze and succumbed to her burn injuries three weeks later.
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The trial court convicted Geeta under both the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for abetment of suicide (Section 306) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. She was sentenced to life imprisonment under the SC/ST Act and five years under the IPC. However, the High Court in 2018 acquitted her of the caste-based offence but retained her conviction under Section 306, reducing the sentence to three years.
Court’s Observations
Hearing the appeal, a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Viswanathan examined whether Geeta’s conduct legally amounted to abetment of suicide. The judges noted that while the quarrels between neighbours were undeniable, there was insufficient evidence to prove that Geeta’s actions intentionally drove Sarika to end her life.
“Neighbourhood quarrels are not unknown to societal living,” the bench remarked, cautioning against stretching every heated exchange into a criminal act of abetment. The Court referred to earlier rulings which held that casual insults or words spoken in anger, unless accompanied by a clear intent to instigate suicide, do not meet the threshold under Section 306 IPC.
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“The harassment, even if unpleasant, did not create circumstances leaving the deceased with no other option but to commit suicide,” the judges observed.
Decision
The Supreme Court set aside the Karnataka High Court’s judgment, acquitting Geeta of abetment of suicide. The Court ordered that her bail bonds be discharged, finally ending the 17-year-old litigation.
Case: Geeta vs. State of Karnataka
Citation: 2025 INSC 1089
Appeal No.: Criminal Appeal No. 1044 of 2018
Date of Judgment: 9 September 2025
