NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has said mere allegations of harassment are not enough to attract abetment of suicide charge unless it is proved that the actions by the accused were so compelling that the victim perceived no alternative but to take their own life.

“For a conviction under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide), there must be clear evidence of direct or indirect acts of incitement to commit suicide. The cause of suicide, especially in the context of abetment, involves complex attributes of human behavior and reactions, requiring the court to rely on cogent and convincing proof of the accused’s role in instigating the act,” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B Varale said.