New Delhi, February 12 A Delhi court has acquitted a woman in a 2013 case of alleged abetting her husband's suicide, stating that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to prove her guilt.
Additional Sessions Judge Himanshu Raman Singh was hearing a case against Mamta Devi, who was accused of abetting the suicide of her husband, Lalit Kumar, on September 20, 2013.
In an order dated February 7, the court said, "There is nothing in the record to show that the accused, Mamta, who was the wife of the deceased Lalit Kumar and had been living separately from him for a long time, had in any way aided him to commit suicide in the period immediately preceding his death."
According to the prosecution, Kumar had been subjected to harassment and mental cruelty by his wife, which led him to commit suicide. It was claimed that frequent arguments and marital discord had pushed him into depression.
The court said that the suicide notes and the oral testimonies of the deceased's sister and mother were not sufficient to prove the accused's guilt.
"It is clear that the allegations made by her (the deceased's mother) are general in nature, and there is nothing in her testimony to suggest that the accused, Mamta, had aided the deceased to commit suicide," the judge said.
The court noted that the allegations against the wife were general and lacked specific instances of cruelty or conduct amounting to incitement.
It held that there was no evidence of any direct or indirect act of incitement or intentional aid by the accused immediately preceding the suicide.
"In the absence of compelling and convincing evidence showing incitement or intentional aid, the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt," the court said, acquitting Mamta of all charges against her.