High Court says 'go die' phrase is not abetment; boyfriend who was in illicit relationship acquitted of suicide charges

KOCHI: The High Court has clarified that saying 'go die' during a verbal argument cannot be considered an abetment to suicide. Justice C Pradeep Kumar's observation was in the order acquitting the boyfriend in the case of a Kasaragod native who committed suicide by jumping into a well with her five-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The court assessed that saying 'go die' during the argument was not with the intention of causing anyone to die.

The petitioner, a teacher, had an illicit relationship with a married woman he met through social media. A verbal argument ensued when she discovered he was planning to marry another woman and questioned him. During this altercation, the petitioner scolded her, saying, "Go away and die". The woman subsequently committed suicide by jumping into a well with her daughter. The incident took place on September 15, 2023. The child who fell into the well also died.

The prosecution case states that the man's words, "go away and die", were the incitement for the woman's suicide. The police had also charged the petitioner with destroying chats with the woman. The court stated that the charge of destroying digital evidence would not stand as there was no motive for suicide.