Most of us would have seen the news reports about the suicide of a Mumbai based model and the police pursuing her alleged boyfriend for abetment to suicide.
The model's lifestyle and suicide, as reported by the media, is exactly like Kangana Ranaut's role in the Madhur Bhandarkar movie Fashion.
The police seem to be extra keen in pursuing the abetment to suicide angle. Why? Is it a not so thinly disguised attempt to extort money from the boyfriend?
It is undoubtedly very sad that anyone would commit suicide. However, the concept of abetment to suicide needs to be looked into carefully.
The model was apparently in her late thirties i.e. a mature adult presumably mentally and physically sound. According to the papers, she was in a one way relationship with the alleged boyfriend who was to start with, younger to her, and secondly did not reciprocate her feelings.
If the boyfriend refused to marry her or openly acknowledge the relationship, then as a mature adult, the model also had the choice of carrying on the relationship as it was or opting out. She was obviously very desperate, could not handle her emotions and chose to end her life. She was mature enough to seek counselling either professionally or through her friends and relatives. She chose not to do so.
The boyfriend may have been an absolute cad but how can he be blamed for abetment to suicide given that he was not around when she consumed tablets and hung herself.
Some news reports say that some former boyfriend was cheating her in business and she had financial difficulties. For this too, she could have made a complaint or filed a court case. She chose not to do so. How can the former boyfriend be accused of abetment to suicide?
I am not supporting any of these people whom I do not know personally, and never even heard of until this news appeared in all the media. However, I feel that the general concept of abetment to suicide needs to be addressed. There are many cases of people committing suicide over unrequited love or due to money problems. If they are adults of sound mind, they have committed the conscious extreme act of taking their own lives and chosen not to seek any alternate remedy to their problems.
In the case of relationships, adults enter into relationships of their own volition. The news reports do not say that anyone forced this model to have a relationship with the present or former boyfriend. Just because a man and woman are in a relationship does not automatically presume that it will end in marriage. Does not one or the other parties have the right to opt out if they feel that the relationship is not working out? Very often, people enter into relationships which are totally unsuitable for marriage.
If the other party is so desperate that they commit suicide instead of carrying on with their lives, it cannot be said that it is abetment to suicide. It is very sad that a person should take their life but that same person being a mature adult, did so out of his or her own choice. It is not right to blame the person who may have caused the sadness.
It appears that the police look forward to such cases as an excuse to extort money from the alleged "abettor".
What do others think?
