The Supreme Court has acquitted a school and hostel in-charge who was accused of abetting a student’s suicide after scolding them.

The student had died by suicide after being scolded by the accused in response to a complaint lodged by another student. The incident led to charges under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with abetment to suicide. The Madras High Court had earlier declined to discharge the accused, prompting an appeal to the apex court.

A bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra ruled in favour of the accused, emphasizing that it was not reasonable to conclude that a mere scolding could have been foreseen as leading to such a tragic outcome.

“Having considered the matter in its entirety, we find it a fit case for interference,” the court said. “As rightly submitted by the appellant, no normal person could have imagined that a scolding, especially one based on a student’s complaint, would drive the other student to take his own life.”

The court further noted that the reprimand appeared to be a routine disciplinary measure aimed at addressing a grievance and maintaining order in the hostel. “In such an admitted factual position, no mens rea (criminal intent) can be attributed to the appellant, much less in connection to the abetment of suicide,” the bench observed.

The accused, through legal counsel, maintained that his actions were in the nature of a guardian's chiding—meant to prevent future misconduct and promote harmony within the student community. He stressed that there was no personal animosity between him and the deceased student.