IPC 306 vs BNS 108: Abetment of Suicide — Complete Comparison (2024)

Section 306 IPC / BNS 108 holds criminally responsible those whose conduct causally and intentionally contributed to another person's death by suicide. The provision is routinely charged in: in-law/dowry harassment cases where a wife takes her life, workplace ragging/bullying cases, and increasingly in online harassment cases. Courts require a 'direct or close nexus' between the accused's conduct and the deceased's decision to end their life — casual or indirect connections are insufficient. The decriminalisation of IPC 309 (attempt to suicide) under the BNS marks a fundamental shift: the person who survives a suicide attempt is now treated as a patient deserving care, not a criminal deserving prosecution.