The note is scribed by the deceased few hours before
she took the extreme step and is an expression of despair and her
anguish; it reflect her desperation and pain.
She is a girl in formative years and her writing give an
impression that she feel trapped. It is possible that any other girl
in similar circumstances would have responded to the situation in a different way, but as stated above, the applicant was her own
uncle and considering the close association of the family with
him, there was an absolute inhibition on her part to blame him
and embroil him in accusation. The screen shots from the mobile
make it apparent that the applicant was harassing the deceased
and inspite of her strong protest, was seeking something from her, leaving her in a despondent state.
12 The accepted legal position being to the effect that
the word ‘instigation’ is to goad, urge, forward, provoke, incite or
encourage to do an act. However, to satisfy the requirement of
instigation, though it is necessary that the actual words must be
used to that effect, but what constitutes instigation must
necessarily and specifically be suggestive of the consequences.
The position of law which emerges from the authoritative
pronouncements is that a reasonable certainty to incite, the
consequences must be capable of being spelt out. The offence of
abetment by instigation depends upon the intention of the person
who abets and not upon the act which is done by the person who
was abetted.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL BAIL APPLICATION NO. 2687 OF 2021
Gaurav Sopan Narkhede Vs The State of Maharashtra
CORAM: BHARATI DANGRE, J.
DATED : 1st SEPTEMBER, 2021
1 C.R.No. 666 of 2020 registered with Bhosari police
station, Pune depict a woeful and a dismal picture, when on 6th
September 2020, a young girl, aged 17 years jumped from the
balcony of a flat located on 4th floor of a high rise building,
succumbed to injuries sustained on account of the said fall on 17th
October 2020 in a private hospital. The body of the girl was
handed over to her relatives and the last rites were performed.
2 After 96 days of the incident, a complaint came to be
lodged with Bhosari police station by the mother of the girl
against the present applicant, attributing to him that he has
abetted a commission of suicide by her daughter on the fateful
day.
The informant recount that her daughter was
pursuing her education in 12th Std and in the month of April
2018, after her Board examination, she had visited the applicant,
the cousin brother of her husband, at Aurangabad.
Before 7 to 8 months, her daughter informed her that
the applicant texted her messages of Good Night, etc, late in the
night, upon which she confronted him and responded by saying
that he was just messaging.
3 An hapless incident dated 6th September 2020 is
narrated by the mother, when she along with her other daughter
was present in the house at 11.30 p.m. She received a message
from friend of her daughter on WhatsApp inquiring who was the
Applicant and she clarified the relationship. In turn, she received
a message that whether she is aware that he is forwarding dirty
messages to her daughter. The informant, thereupon, entered
the bedroom of her daughter and pointedly asked her about the
messages forwarded by the applicant, upon which the girl handed
over her mobile to the mother and asked herself to have a look.
On not finding the messages and on persisting that she should
reply, she went into the mobile gallery and opened a folder in the
caption “S.S” and told her to have look at it and she barged out of
the room. On inspecting, screen shots were found in the mobile
phone and immediately, by keeping mobile on the bed, the
Informant followed her daughter, who by that time, jumped from
the gallery of other bedroom. On realizing the severity of the
shocking incident, the informant became unconscious and she
was informed that her daughter was taken to the hospital. The
informant recollect that in the hospital, her daughter was little
conscious and on being inquired as to why did she take the
extreme step, she murmered that because of “Gaurav uncle”. She
did not utter anything further and was administered treatment in
the hospital.
4 The informant state that while admitting her
daughter in the hospital, it was informed that she had fallen out
of the gallery while taking out the towel. On 7th September 2020,
when she was arranging things in the house, on dressing table of
her daughter, she found a scrap of paper with a hand written note
on which her daughter had scribed for her. On reading this, she
confronted the applicant, who denied to have done any wrong
and expressed that he would visit her but the informant refused to
accept him at her house. She informed about the said note to her
husband and preserved the same. Thereafter, the family became
busy in treating their daughter who breathed her last on 17th
October 2020. The entire family was in grief and they visited
their native place. The applicant, being in their close relation and
since he was a powerful person, the family mused whether
complaint should be lodged against him, but ultimately was
convinced that they should proceed against the applicant, and
therefore, by remaining present at the police station, the
complaint was lodged and the chit/note written by the deceased
was handed over to the police.
This resulted in registration of the subject C.R,
invoking Sections 306, 354A, 354-B of the IPC and Section 4
and 8 of the POCSO Act.
5 The chit came to be seized during investigation along
with the mobile of the deceased. The chit was written on a page
in the notebook where the deceased had scribed as under :-
“Mummy, I have not told you about one person, Gaurav
Uncle in our house. For no reason, he often come close to
me and attempted to touch my private parts. I concealed
the same from you, but that was my mistake. I kept mum
because I thought if I disclose it to you, it would result into
quibble. However, he messaged me. Before one week, he
was talking to me about bad things. The screen shots of
the said message are stored in my mobile in the folder ‘SS’.
On receipt of the message, I have blocked him, but
yesterday night, he texted me. I was unable to understand
what should I do and how should I disclose it. After you
come to know about this, please do not quarrel and let the
things continue to remain as they are. You and Papa
should not fight. Bye…. Take care ….. Because even if I
blocked him on the mobile, I will have to face him some
day. I carry no feelings for him in my mind, still he said so
and further Kaki narrating it to aunt and no matter how
much I tolerate, I will be blamed”
6 The mobile phone with a Jio Sim card is also seized
by panchnama dated 11th December 2020 and ‘SS’ folder in the
mobile phone is found to contain 9 screen shot images. The first
is the screen shot of Instagram Page where the name of the
applicant is mentioned, second image is again a screen shot of
Instagram Page where the photographs of the deceased is on the
top and below it, the applicant had typed a message “You are
looking very hot”. The third message is on Whatsapp by the
applicant “Bolaychch aahe ektyat tujhasobat”. (want to talk to you
in Private). Fourth message is from the deceased ‘nahi, tumhi
maje kaka ahe in place of my dad” (No, You are my uncle and like
my Dad). This is responded by the applicant “U Chat clear kar”
(clear chat). In the last screen shot, the applicant has deleted the
message. The text message in the phone also reveal that from the
applicant, a message is received on 5th September 2020 as ‘Good
Night” and below that, the deceased has typed “Mala nahi
bolaycha tyanchya sobat, kalat nahi ka tumhala” (I do not want to
talk to you, why don’t you understand)
7 The version of Informant is that the deceased had
visited the applicant in April 2018 and at that time, her sister-in-law
had disclosed to her that the applicant’s wife had told her that
the deceased was constantly chatting with someone and
exchanging messages but when the informant inquired, she did
not respond. However, after that, as per the chits scribed by the
deceased, he attempted to manipulate her, but she did not
disclose it either to her mother nor to anyone and the reason is
apparent that the applicant is her Uncle.
During investigation, the prosecution has recorded
statements of the friend of the deceased who corroborate the
informant on the aspect that he had apprised her about the dirty
messages being forwarded by the applicant to the deceased. The
said witness is a close friend of the deceased and she had spoken
to him about the applicant and his ill-intentions when he
attempted to touch her private part when she visited his place in
vacation. He narrated that the deceased had told her that she did
not inform it to her mother because that would have ensued
quarrels in the house. The deceased disclosed to him that he was
messaging her and she was very scared. Since she did not divulge
it to her mother, he forwarded a message to her mother since she
was disturbed by the dirty messages from the applicant.
Statement of the sister of deceased is also compiled in
the charge-sheet, which is in sync with the statement of
informant. Apart from the informant who told that in the
hospital, the deceased had uttered that she had taken the said step
on account of the applicant, statement of two witnesses who are
close relatives of the family are also compiled in the charge-sheet.
8 In the wake of the material compiled in the chargesheet,
learned Senior Counsel Mr.Ponda has advanced his
submissions and according to him, the foremost question is
whether the deceased had committed suicide or she accidentally
fell from the balcony of her house as per the version by her family
members while she was admitted in the hospital.
Describing the step taken by the young girl to be very
unfortunate, the learned senior counsel would argue that for the
said step, how was he responsible. Though not, admitting but
assuming for a moment that he has committed an error in texting
to the girl and that he had crossed his limits, for which at the
most, he can be said to have committed a moral blunder, but the
submission is, if this was attributed to him, why the girl or her
family did not go to the police. The extreme step taken by the
deceased was not the only solution left to her as there were other
ways how the issue could have been sorted out, is his submission.
According to him, as far as the allegation under POCSO are
concerned, they are too stale to be taken cognizance of, and even
prima facie if they are taken at its face value, what is alleged is
only an attempt to touch her private parts, with no such act
actually being indulged into.
By inviting my attention to a catena of decisions
elaborating the position of law, as far as Section 306 of the IPC is
concerned, and in particular latest decision of the Apex Court in
case of Arnab Goswami Vs. State of Maharashtra and ors,
2021(2) SCC 427, the learned senior counsel would submit that
he had no intention or knowledge that the girl will commit
suicide and merely because it is alleged that there was some
harassment or anguish on her part, in absence of any positive act
attributed to him, he cannot be held guilty of abetment to
commit suicide. He would submit that the act of the deceased
will have to be decided by applying the parameters of a prudent
person, but not of an over sensitive one, who has taken the
extreme step for which he cannot be held responsible.
In any case, the submission of the learned counsel is
since the investigation is now complete and the charge-sheet is
filed, his incarceration is unwarranted and he is ready to abide by
any conditions imposed while securing his release.
9 Learned APP has vehemently opposed the said
application and he would focus on the gravity of the accusations
and submit that the applicant is charged with a serious offence
under the IPC which is punishable with Imprisonment which
may extend to 10 years and also offence punishable under the
POCSO Act, 2012.
10 The legal position which could be discerned from the
authoritative pronouncements being not in doubt, I have perused
the material compiled in the charge-sheet. The deceased is a
young girl in her adolescence and impressionable age, and here is
the case of this girl who is hesitant to disclose about the ill intentions
of the applicant, who is her own uncle. This factor
distinguishes the present case since it revolve around an intimate
relationship with her own uncle, which posed a barrier for the
victim girl to report of the said incident to anyone in the family,
but she chose to disclose it to her close friend. The chit which is
scribed by the deceased referred to a message and screen shots of
which is found in the mobile phone. From the screen shots, it is
evident that on 5th September 2020, a message is forwarded by
the applicant which is responded by the deceased by typing that
she was not interested in talking to him. The unhappy tone was
set in the night of 5th September 2020 and in the note which is
scribed, the deceased has opened her mind to her mother where
she talk about his ill-deeds and also offered explanation as to why
she concealed it from her mother. She categorically state that
though she blocked him in the night, he had text the message.
Though Mr.Ponda has vehemently argued that from
this note, it cannot be discerned that the girl is going to commit
suicide, I am unable to agree with the said submission. It is
evident that this note is scribed by the girl after the message was
received by her on 5th September 2020 and after she responded to
the message. In the said chit/note, she expressed her helplessness
about his manifest intentions and she has also written that before
one week, he indulged in dirty talks. The said note is concluded
by bidding adieu. She also expressed her helplessness since she is
apprehensive that even if she has blocked him, she will again have
to face him and will have to take the blame though, she had no
feeling in her mind.
11 The note is scribed by the deceased few hours before
she took the extreme step and is an expression of despair and her
anguish; it reflect her desperation and pain.
She is a girl in formative years and her writing give an
impression that she feel trapped. It is possible that any other girl
in similar circumstances would have responded to the situation in
a different way, but as stated above, the applicant was her own
uncle and considering the close association of the family with
him, there was an absolute inhibition on her part to blame him
and embroil him in accusation. The screen shots from the mobile
make it apparent that the applicant was harassing the deceased
and inspite of her strong protest, was seeking something from her, leaving her in a despondent state.
12 The accepted legal position being to the effect that
the word ‘instigation’ is to goad, urge, forward, provoke, incite or
encourage to do an act. However, to satisfy the requirement of
instigation, though it is necessary that the actual words must be
used to that effect, but what constitutes instigation must
necessarily and specifically be suggestive of the consequences.
The position of law which emerges from the authoritative
pronouncements is that a reasonable certainty to incite, the
consequences must be capable of being spelt out. The offence of
abetment by instigation depends upon the intention of the person
who abets and not upon the act which is done by the person who
was abetted. True it is, that abetment as contemplated under
Section 107 of the IPC, may be by instigation, conspiracy or
intentional aid and the words uttered in feet of anger or omission
without any intention being attributed cannot be termed as
instigation.
However, instigation has to be gathered from the
circumstances of a particular case and no straight jacket formula can be laid down, to find out as to whether in a particular case, there was instigation which forced the person to commit suicide. In a particular case, it is possible that there may not be direct evidence in regard to instigation which may bear a direct nexus to suicide.
In such circumstances, inference will have to be drawn from the
surrounding circumstances and it will have to be ascertained
whether circumstances had been such which in fact had created a situation that a person felt totally frustrated and committed
suicide.
13 The present case is of a young teenage girl, who felt
cornered by the conduct and demeanor of her own uncle, which
was unexpected since she held him on a high pedestal as her own
father and was unable to vent her anguish on account of the close
proximity of the family with that of the applicant. She suffered
the consequences mutely for a year or so. From the note, it is
apparent that her harassment continued and the message of Good Night do not appear to be a solitary and innocuous one, out of isolation, but since the learned APP has made a statement that the mobile phone was empty barring the screen shots saved in one folder, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the deceased
suffered such harassment through various calls and text messages.
The mobile phone has been forwarded for analysis and when its
report is obtained, the picture would become clear since it is
possible to retrieve the entire data including chats from it.
14 Sexual violence know no boundaries. It occurs in
every country, across all parts of society.
A child may be subjected to sexual abuse or
exploitation at home too. The widespread use of digital
technology can also put children at risk. At times, the abuse
occurs at the hands of someone a child knows and trusts. Any
form of sexual violence result in severe physical, psychological
harm. Unfortunately, we have not been able to create an
atmosphere in the Society where Parents, teachers and adults in
company of the child can identify signs of abuse and make sure
children receive care and protection.
For the deceased, who was not an adult, but a child,
her adolescent years were shaped by horrowing experience that
left her with irreversible and irreparable memories. The fear of
stigma, not being believed and being blamed, found her in
precarious situation, left her isolated and insecure and which
persuaded her to end her life.
15 In the nature of accusation, the applicant who is a
matured, married man, do not deserve his liberty. Another reason
to deny his release is his close proximity with the family of the
deceased and there is every likelihood that on his release, the
applicant may pressurize the prosecution witnesses and tamper
with the case of the prosecution.
16 For the aforesaid reasons, Application is rejected.
SMT. BHARATI DANGRE, J
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