The Supreme Court has held that a breakup or refusal to marry, even if followed by a person's suicide, cannot automatically be treated as abetment to suicide. The Court quashed criminal proceedings against six accused, observing that the prosecution must establish the requisite intention or knowledge and that a mere refusal to marry does not, by itself, constitute an offence under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran made the observation while allowing an appeal in Chittibarika Chandra Shekar & Ors. v. State of Telangana & Anr., reported as 2026 LiveLaw (SC) 1029.

The case arose from the death by suicide of a woman who had been in a consensual relationship with the first accused. According to the prosecution, the accused subsequently refused to marry her, allegedly under the influence of other family members and persons. The allegations extended to five other individuals, including the first accused's parents, sister, a friend and his sister's proposed bridegroom.

The Court noted that the woman and the first accused had lived together for approximately three months at his residence and that his family had accepted their relationship. However, the Bench found no material indicating that the accused had instigated the woman to take her own life.

Observing that individuals react differently to personal circumstances, the Bench stated that a breakup ending in suicide cannot always be termed abetment to suicide. It further held that the refusal to marry was neither intended to drive the woman to suicide nor could the accused be attributed knowledge that such refusal would lead her to take her own life.

The Court concluded that the allegations, even if accepted as stated by the informant, established at most a refusal to marry followed by suicide, without the necessary element of instigation to sustain the prosecution under Section 306 IPC.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court quashed the criminal proceedings against the six accused.

Case Title: Chittibarika Chandra Shekar & Ors. v. State of Telangana & Anr.

Case No: SLP (Crl.) No.7239 of 2026

Bench: Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran