False FIR does not amount to abetment of suicide: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that filing a false FIR or seeking legal remedies does not constitute abetment of suicide without direct instigation, conspiracy, or intentional aid. A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi quashed criminal proceedings against a woman's parents and brother who were accused of abetting her husband's suicide after she filed a domestic violence case against him.

The court observed that the deceased died due to his own frustrations, not instigation by the accused. It said every individual has the right to recourse under law to protect their rights. The bench noted that lodging an FIR, even if false, per se does not amount to instigating suicide.

Separately, the Gujarat High Court granted bail to a man accused of abetting suicide, noting he was only taking his sister's side in a family dispute and the alleged threat had no bearing on the incident. The court considered that the applicant had been in custody since October 2025, charge-sheet was filed, and he had no other antecedents.