HC quashes FIR against Beed sarpanch in suicide abetment case

AURANGABAD: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court recently quashed an FIR that was registered against the sarpanch of Dhunkawad - in Dharura taluka of Beed - who was booked for allegedly abetting the suicide of a friend.
Three other members of the sarpanch's family were also booked following the death in April this year. They faced charges under sections 306, 323,504, 506 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
A crime was registered after a report filed by Narayan Yadav, the father of Bhagwat Yadav who died by suicide on April 16 this year.The complainant had named Sarpanch Abhiman Prahlad Yadav (37); his wife Anita (32); brother Vikram (39); and another woman, Sunita Sandipan Shinde (53), a resident of Chincholi (Mali) in Kaij taluka.
According to Bhagwat's father, his son killed himself after the Abhiman refused to return money borrowed to fund an election campaign for the post of sarpanch.
Bhagwat, according to the complaint, was a friend of Abhiman and helped the latter's campaign run by borrowing Rs 5,00,000 from one Devidas Landge. But after the election, Abhiman refused to return the money.
Bhagwat's family said he was assaulted twice by the family of the sarpanch when they were asked to return the money. On April 16 this year, Bhagwat committed suicide by hanging himself at his father's farm.
The bench comprising Justice T V Nalawade and Justice S M Gavhane observed: "Though such a beating was given on two occasions, the deceased and the informant, his father, did not approach police. They were afraid of Abhiman as he is the sarpanch. On April 16, he left home at about 8am. One Vikram Yadav informed on phone that Bhagwat had died by suicide at his father's field. But his father lodged a complaint on April 19 - three days after the incident.’’
The bench, while quashing the FIR, said: "It is not disputed that it is a case of suicide. There is no record to show that any amount was given by Devidas Landge either to the deceased or to Abhiman. In ordinary course, Devidas would have taken steps for recovery of the amount against Abhiman.’’
The bench added: ``In any case, if such amount was given, they could have taken legal recourse for recovery. If there was some incident of quarrel and beating, it cannot be inferred that there was intention of the applicants (the sarpanch's family) as mentioned in Section 107 of the IPC. The allegations made against the applicants cannot make out the case of abetment of suicide. Aforesaid allegations are very vague.’’