Married man commits suicide after lover cheats, girl’s relatives in dock

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A married man with two children committed suicide after a girl-nextdoor he was in love married another person. The relatives of the girl and the victim are now in the dock for abetment of suicide. Syed Sajid Ahmed, a relative of the girl approached the High Court seeking bail after he was booked under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The victim, Wasim Akram, was in love with the girl from the neighborhood for five years.

Earlier in January this year, a panchayat was held by the family members of Akram and the girl and the former was advised to keep away from the girl as her marriage was fixed with someone else. Akram committed suicide on February 25, 2013. Four of his friends including Ahmed were booked for abetment of suicide. Ahmed approached the HC fearing arrest after the police issued a notice to him. His plea for anticipatory bail before the Sessions Court was rejected.

In the HC, the government advocate opposed the bail arguing that “mere issuing of notice is not an apprehension of arrest.” The court was also informed that the role of Ahmed had to be probed and his appearance before the investigating officer was necessary.

The HC in its judgment noted that it was natural for the family members of the girl to advise Akram not to interfere in her life. “The deceased Wasim Akram was a married person having two children. It is quite natural that if he falls in love with neighbour girl, the relatives of the girl certainly advise him that he being a married person to keep away from the girl whose marriage has been fixed.

“In this background the death of Wasim Akram came to be reported one month later. The name of the petitioner is not mentioned in the FIR or there are no allegations made in the complaint against him,” Justice TG Shivashankare Gowda noted in his judgment. Four other accused in the abetment case has already been granted bail.

“Since this court has already granted bail to accused Nos.1 to 4, on parity, the petitioner is also entitled for bail. Under the circumstances, I do not find any reason to refuse exercise discretion for grant of bail to the petitioner,” the court said granting him bail. The conditions imposed on him include a bond of Rs.1 lakh, and direction to co-operate with the investigation and appear before the investigating officer as and when called for