New Delhi, 25 February (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has ruled that merely ending a romantic relationship does not constitute instigation for abetment of suicide under criminal law, granting bail to a man accused in his ex-partner's death.Justice Manoj Jain delivered the verdict on a bail plea by the accused, whose former partner hanged herself five days after his marriage to another woman in October 2025.

The court stressed that true abetment requires provocation so severe it obliterates the deceased's alternatives, leaving suicide as the sole recourse—not mere emotional fallout from a breakup.

The couple shared an eight-year relationship with no prior complaints from the woman, who ceased communication with the accused from February 2025. A significant time gap separated their split from her death, and no dying declaration existed. Her family alleged religious conversion pressure for marriage, yet friends reported only general upset, not coercion.

The court noted her personal diaries expressed marriage hopes, framing the tragedy as a heartbroken reaction to his wedding news: Though broken relationships and heartbreaks have become common these days, mere breaking-up... may not per se constitute instigation under Section 108 BNS.

Released on personal and Rs 25,000 surety bonds, the accused awaits trial to determine if hypersensitivity or other factors drove the act.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar