Gujarat High Court Grants Bail To Man Accused Of Abetting Suicide Of Mentally Depressed Wife By Demanding Dowry

The Applicant had submitted that the deceased was suffering from mental illness, was under continuous depression and this was recorded in the statement of the Applicant in connection with the Accidental Death complaint.

The deceased was undergoing treatment even before marriage. After marriage, she had complained about lack of sleep and it is claimed that the Applicant supported her during the treatment and the doctor found partial improvement during medication. Further, the deceased's parents were aware of her mental state and there was no reason for the abetment of suicide by the Applicant. It was contested that the 'ultimate step' was taken in a state of depression. Accordingly, bail ought to be granted.

Per contra, the APP submitted that the marriage span was only of seven months and that as per the complaint, the Applicant had raised a demand for dowry worth INR 10,00,000. The deceased was also tortured for not bringing in enough dowry. It was brought to the Court's attention through a statement of the bank account of the deceased that her father had transferred an amount of INR 1,00,000 into her bank account.

However, considering the mental state of the deceased and that the trial will take its own time to conclude, the Court allowed the application for bail on furnishing of a personal bond of INR 15,000 with one surety of like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

Case Title: VIVEKKUMAR KAMALNIRANJAN KUSHWAHA v/s STATE OF GUJARAT

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Guj) 176

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