KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has quashed the criminal cases against two bank officials accused in the case related to the suicide of a nursing student in April 2012. The court issued the order while allowing the petition filed by Harikrishnan, former manager of the Kudamaloor branch of the HDFC bank and Jobin Fen, former deputy manager (credit) of the bank, first and second accused respectively in the case. The petitioners were accused of abetting her suicide.
The court said that abetment involves a mental process of instigating a person or intentionally aiding a person in doing something. A positive act on the part of the accused to instigate or aid in committing suicide is required.
It cannot be found that rejection of the applications for a loan submitted by the deceased in the years 2010 and 2011 and in March 2012 by the petitioners amounted to an act of abetment which led the victim to commit suicide in the month of April 2012.
The prosecution has not made out any prima facie case against the petitioners for committing an offence punishable under Section 306 of IPC, held the court.