Wednesday, 29 March 2017

Legal Update

SUICIDE - No more a crime !

Hari Narayanan Mundayur


The Mental Health Care Bill passed by Loksabha on monday (29-03-2017) mandates that person who is attempting suicide shall be presumed to be suffering from "Severe stress" and, therefore, shall not be tried or punished by law.

Attention is drawn to the Section 309 of Indian Penal Code – 

309. Attempt to commit suicide.—Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall he punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year 1[or with fine, or with both]."



The above mentioned section is retained by the Government. According to legal experts - "What has changed is the ill-advised proposal to make a distinction between those are suffering from mental health issues and those who are presumed to be normal. The inability of the lawmakers to throw out Section 309 lock , stock and barrel strikes at the root of progressivism."

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