Uttarakhand HC quashes criminal proceedings against woman accused of abetment of suicide

Nainital, Nov 7 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court on Friday cancelled the criminal proceedings against a woman accused of abetting suicide of a man here.

The single bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit quashed the proceedings after considering the legal aspects of relationships formed through social media, blackmail and related criminal charges.

According to the case, Preeti Gautam, a resident of Rudraprayag, became acquainted with the deceased on Facebook and they developed a close relationship. During this period, the deceased allegedly recorded inappropriate photos and videos of Preeti. He later began blackmailing her by threatening to share the material with her family members and on social media.

When Preeti's marriage was arranged with someone else, the deceased posted the photos and videos online. She approached the police and cyber cell, following which the material was removed. After this incident, the man committed suicide on April 3, 2023. Later, his brother alleged that the deceased ended life due to the mental harassment inflicted by Preeti.

Following investigation, the police filed a charge sheet against Preeti and another accused before the judicial magistrate of Rudraprayag under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Preeti then approached the high court.

The court found that the accused woman herself had been a victim of blackmail and harassment, and that there was no direct evidence to suggest that she instigated the deceased to commit suicide or committed an unlawful act.

The court also found inconsistencies in the evidence and complaints against her. PTI DPT HIG RUK RUK