Delhi court acquits woman in husband's suicide abetment case

A Delhi court has acquitted a woman in a 2013 case of alleged abetment to suicide of her husband, saying the evidence relied upon by prosecution was not sufficient to establish her guilt. Additional Sessions Judge Himanshu Raman Singh was hearing a case against Mamta Devi who was accused of abetting the suicide of her husband, Lalit Kumar, on September 20, 2013. In an order dated February 7, the court said, ''There is nothing on record to show that accused Mamta, who was wife of deceased Lalit Kumar and was living separately from him for long, had abetted him to commit suicide in any way any time proximate to his death.'' According to the prosecution, Kumar had been subjected to harassment and mental cruelty by his wife, which led him to commit suicide. It was claimed that frequent quarrels and matrimonial discord had pushed him into depression. The court said the suicide notes being relied upon by the prosecution and the oral testimonies of deceased's sister and mother were not sufficient to establish the guilt of the accused. ''It is clear that the allegations levelled by her (deceased's mother) are general in nature and there is nothing in her testimony to suggest that accused Mamta had abetted the deceased to commit suicide,'' the judge said. The court noted that the allegations against the wife were general in nature and lacked specific instances of cruelty or conduct amounting to instigation. It held that there was no evidence of any direct or indirect act of incitement or intentional aid by the accused immediately preceding the suicide. ''In the absence of cogent and convincing evidence showing instigation or intentional aid, the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt,'' the court said, acquitting Mamta of all charges framed against her.