#criminal abetment

The Jharkhand High Court holds that advising a victim to seek an abortion and covering its costs does not amount to criminal abetment under Section 109 IPC unless there is evidence of direct instigation or active participation in the act. This ruling protects individuals from being criminally liable for passive support in sensitive medical decisions, setting a critical boundary for abetment liability in reproductive rights cases.

Chhattisgarh High Court acquits accused in a suicide case, holding that harassment alone-without direct instigation or active facilitation-does not meet the threshold for abetment under Section 306 IPC. The ruling underscores the need for proximate causation and mens rea to sustain conviction, offering critical protection against wrongful prosecutions.