A 24-year-old woman from Gahaur village in Ludhiana has died after allegedly jumping into a canal. Two days after she left her home, purportedly to visit a religious site, her body was recovered from the Abohar branch of the Sirhind canal near Ghawaddi village. Authorities have registered a case against a local youth for allegedly abetting her suicide.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the accused, identified as Manjit Singh, also known as Jit, faces charges under Sections 64 and 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at the Dehlon police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased woman’s father, Avtar Singh, also a resident of Gahaur village.
According to the FIR, the victim had informed her family on Sunday that she was going to pay her respects at a gurdwara in Ludhiana. However, she did not return home. Her body was subsequently found in the canal.
The complainant stated that he received information from his wife suggesting that Manjit Singh had been subjecting the victim to physical exploitation and emotional harassment. The father alleges that this alleged mistreatment drove his daughter to the extreme decision of ending her life by jumping into the canal. The family has provided statements to the police detailing the alleged actions of the accused.
The police team, under the supervision of Station House Officer Avneet Kaur, has commenced an investigation into the matter. Efforts are underway to gather further evidence and statements from individuals who may have relevant information. The Dehlon police are working to establish the sequence of events leading up to the woman’s death.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is the new penal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, as part of a legislative overhaul of India’s criminal laws. Section 64 of the BNS deals with abetment of suicide. It states that if any person abets the commission of suicide by any person, they shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 108 of the BNS, which pertains to abetment, outlines the circumstances under which a person can be held responsible for abetting an offence. This includes instigating another person to do that thing, or engaging in any conspiracy prior to the doing of that thing, or intentionally aiding, by any act or illegal omission, the doing of that thing.
The investigation is expected to involve examining call records, digital communications, and interviewing friends and acquaintances of both the victim and the accused. The police have appealed to the public for any information that could assist in their inquiry. The case highlights the serious implications of emotional and physical exploitation and the legal ramifications under the new penal code.
Further legal proceedings will depend on the outcome of the police investigation and the evidence collected. The recovery of the body was conducted with the assistance of local authorities and rescue teams, and a post-mortem examination is anticipated to provide additional details regarding the cause of death.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
