India In Dire Need for Stricter Suicide Law


Bangalore: Suicide has become an extreme social sickness in India with a high suicide rate of 20 percent, which is above the world rate. This is a form of sickness which has not only afflicted the most impoverished section of the society but also the richest of the rich. The many reasons for taking such an extreme step in India have included domestic violence, heartbreak or separated lovers, and debt ridden farmers, etc. For such people, suicide serves as a permanent resolution for their own problems, reported Soutik Biswas for BBC News India.

According to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 309, Suicide is a criminal and punishable offence with a minor punishment of upto one year imprisonment with fine and this section states “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both”. This offence is bailable in the court of law by a magistrate.

In the World Health Organization (WHO) ranking of suicides per one lakh people, India languishes at 43rd   position in spite of implementing such a law.

The latest suicide of Bollywood Actress Jiah Khan has brought suicide case more in the limelight as her family members accused her boyfriend Suraj Pancholi for the main cause of her taking such an extreme step of ending her life. Pancholi was taken into custody on the case of abetment as abetment of suicide is also a punishable offence under IPC Section 306.