Talks are doing rounds to scrap Section 309 IPC. Suicide is a legal paradox. If the person fails, to succeed in taking away the life, there is a case under 309 of I.P.C. However, when the person succeeds there is no punishment. It is a good move to remove section 309 I.P.C. Some apprehension is if some body is driven commit suicide for pecuniary benefits like inheritance of property, forcing old people to commit suicide, then what to do? So, for such situations some remedy should also be thought of simultaneously. These are the views of Dr. B.V. Subrahmanyam, Professor of Forensic Medicine, Narayana Medical College, Chinthareddypalem,
Nellore.
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1 comments:
“Attempt of suicide” as punishable offence exists only in 4-5 countries across the world, including India u/s 309 IPC. Even in India, a move to repeal it was actuated as early as in 1974. It went through the Upper House, but before it could be introduced in the Lok Sabha, the House was dissolved. A Supreme Court ruling in 1994 also struck down Section 309, but a full bench reinstated the provision a couple of years later.
There is proof that 90 per cent of the persons that commit suicide suffer from mental illness, which would have to be attended to. A person attempting suicide is letting out a cry for help and we should pay attention to it, instead of piling more troubles on the person in terms of a police case, investigation and punishment will only aggravate the mental condition of that person.
I personally feels that attempt of suicide should be decriminalized by repealing S 309 IPC and at the same time we should seriously think of legalizing Euthanasia in certain circumstances.
Dr. Pravir Bodkha
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