CRM-M-73814-2025 -1- (141) IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CRM-M-73814-2025 Date of Decision: 15.07.2026 TWINKLE BEDI ... Petitioner Versus STATE OF HARYANA & ANOTHER ...Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASJIT SINGH BEDI Present: Ms. Rajvinder Kaur Sohal, Advocate for the petitioner. **** JASJIT SINGH BEDI, J. The prayer in the present petition under Section 528 BNSS, 2023 is for quashing of the FIR No.0088 dated 13.04.2022 registered under Section 306 IPC at Police Station DLF Phase-I, District Gurugram and all consequential proceedings arising therefrom. 2. The brief facts of the case are that the aforementioned FIR came to be registered at the instance of complainant/Aiyinikkal Raphael Varghese (hereinafter referred to as respondent No.2), the father of the deceased and the same reads as under:- “30.03.2022. To, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Gurugram- East. Subject: Complaint against I, Twinkle Bedi D/o Ram Avtar Bedi, R/o B-202, Hometech Defence Enclave, Sector-44, Noida- 201301, Mobile 9953180722 for the offence of abetment of suicide, fabrication and destruction of evidence. Respected Sir, Aiyinikkal Raphael Verghese S/o Aiyinikkal Verghese Raphael aged 58 years, R/o B-5/61, Green Fields, Jogeshwari Vikhroli, JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -2- Link Road, Andheri East, Mumbai-400093 state as follows:- (1) That my son Anshul Verghese was living at House No. 114302, Silver Oaks, DLF Phase-1, Gurugram, Haryana with his wife Twinkle Bedi D/o Ram Avtar Bedi, R/o B- 202, Hometech Defence Enclave, Sector-44, Noida- 201301. (2) My son met Twinkle Bedi about 3 years ago in Mumbai through a mutual friend and they developed a mutual liking for each other and got into a relationship and finally got married on 10th May 2021 in a court marriage after having accepted each other's past, were living together as husband and wife at House No.1143 C2, Silver Oaks, DLF Phase-1, Gurugram, Haryana. (3) That since their marriage, Twinkle Bedi never treated my son with love and respect as my son regularly called me and informed that she was torturing him mentally and physically on regular basis for one reason or the other and she also humiliated him for no reason. On various occasions, she assaulted him physically, but he used to bear with it all with a view to keep the relationship cordial and happy. I had suggested that he should file a case of domestic violence against her for persistent physical abuse, but he said that he didn't want to do so as he didn't want her to go through any trouble. (4) She was manipulative and married him only to use him for her comfort and pleasure. While he was busy at work, she would continuously disturb him and would accuse him of having an extra marital affair with his colleagues and friends and would regularly fight with him on the basis of her insecurities based on some incidents before marriage. My son upon receiving such physical and mental torture used to call me and I counseled both of them on various occasions. I also tried to reason with Twinkle Bedi and always requested her not to accuse him of such false allegations of extra marital affairs as it was having a very severe negative mental and emotional impact on him and was also taking a toll on his career and health. (5) She was well aware of the fact that my son loved her deeply with all his hearth despite which she continued to JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -3- torture and humiliate him emotionally. She also asked him on various occasions to go away from her life by divorcing her. When my son Anshul pleaded with her about his innocence, she maintained that she did not believe him and that she would indulge in physical relationship with other men. She told him that she did not find him worthy and suitable for her and she has no concern for him if he is dead or alive which is evident from the conversation records being submitted herewith. (6) She insulted and abused my son on various occasions using very filthy, derogatory and abusive language and in those conversations she even used very derogatory words for my family members for no reason and despite all efforts of my son to cool her down, she severely and derogatorily abused him. My son also called me on many such occasions and expressed his helplessness. He asked me to counsel her. Some of the phone call recordings and screen shots about such severe mental and physical abuse and torture are enclosed with my complaint as Annexure C1. (7) She regularly assaulted my son physically and he always tolerated the same to save his married life. She said that she is not bothered if he is in her life or not and she wanted to leave him. This was brutally emotional for my son. During such arguments, she was not receptive to my son's pleas about his innocence. On various occasions, my son would be helpless and stated that he was tired or such an existence. She would respond saying that she did not care and he could do whatever he wanted. (8) On such occasions, also spoke to her and warned her not to continue with such violent and abusive acts, but she paid no heed to my advice and kept torturing my son taking benefit of the fact that my son used to love her deeply and wanted to live with her and take care of her being his wife. Whenever I found that it was becoming intolerable for son to bear with the treatment being meted out to him, I visited them on several occasions and last visited them in November 2021 November 13 to 18, but she did not listen to me and continued to JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -4- abuse and torture him. Repeatedly stated that she does not want to have anything to do with my son and wanted separation. She said that she is not bothered if he is in her life or not. (9) On 15.03.2022, she had called her colleague, Vikas, purportedly for getting some project work done. This friend was present in the house from afternoon and continued to be there beyond reasonable time. She continued to call Anshul and ask him how much time it would take for him to finish his work and finally said that if Anshul was not coming home, she would ask him to stay over for the night. She also asked him why the air conditioner was not functioning in the bedroom as they wanted to chill there. Vikas was present in the house till very late in the night on 15.03.2022 and after my son suddenly returned from work at about 12:30 AM, Vikas left in the wee hours of 22th morning at 1:06 AM. When my son asked Twinkle as to why Vikas was present in the house till so late in his absence, she again started abusing him with certain allegations of some affair before marriage. She did not list to him and kept on humiliating him and making derogatory statements. This was brutally emotional for my son. Anshul also called Twinkle's mother and narrated all this to her at around 8:28 on 17.03.2022. (10) That on 17.03.2022, Twinkle Bedi again mentally and physically assaulted my son thereby provoking him to die as she told him that she has decided to leave him. (11) Then on 17.03.2022 around 11 PM, I got call from Twinkle Bedi from the phone number of my son on which she told me that my son had hanged himself and was taken to Paras Hospital, where CPR was being given to him. When I asked her where she was at the time of incident, she said that she was in the bedroom but later changed the version and stated that Anshul had asked her to leave and she was therefore walking in the lawns downstairs. However, CCTV footage confirms that she had entered the flat with Anshul and had not left till the time that she went out to seek help after the incident. (12) At around 11:22 PM, she called me and informed JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -5- me that my son is dead and then I reached the hospital with my wife and daughter on 18.03.2022 at 8 AM and there she told me that my son has committed suicide by hanging himself. (13) That I have also enclosed the CCTV recordings taken by me from the society office of Silver Oak Society and I would also request you to obtain the same from 15th onwards and preserve it for further proceedings. (14) Twinkle Bedi i.e. wife of my son by her cruelty, harassment, acts, words, torture, humiliation, continuous physical and mental abuse, assault, insult: as mentioned hereinbefore and provoking by bringing male friend home, and calling Anshul and stating that if he is not coming home, she would ask her male friend to stay overnight at their home, has intentionally instigated, provoked, pushed and forced my son to end his life. The audio recordings of the calls are attached as evidence 15. That 1 am filing this complaint today as, till yesterday, we were busy in arranging for the last rites of my son and were under severe grief and thus were not in the right frame of mind. Moreover, Anshul's mobile and SIM were with Twinkle and it is after a lot of persistence that we could get it back from her, subsequent to which we were able to hear the call recordings too and also checked the CCTV footage which corroborates with the conversation records. I therefore request you to take appropriate legal action against Twinkle Bedi D/o Ram Avtar Bedi R/o B-202, Hometech Defence Enclave, Sector-44, Noida-201301 and all other persons involved with her in this conspiracy and provide justice to my Son. SD/- Aiyinikkal Raphael Varghese S/o A. V. Raphael aged 58 years R/o 8-5/61, Green Fields, Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, Aridheri East, Mumbai-400093, 93241- 68469.” 3. The learned counsel for the petitioner contends that being the wife of the deceased the petitioner has been falsely implicated in the present case. In fact, initially, during proceedings under Section 174 Cr.P.C. the JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -6- respondent No.2 had made a statement before the police that his son had committed suicide by hanging and stated that he did not wish to take action against any person. After a delay of about 13 days, the respondent No.2 submitted a fresh complaint dated 30.03.2022 leading to the registration of the FIR. It was a love marriage between the couple. However, over a period of time, the deceased developed a habit of consumption of excessive liquour. The petitioner being cabin crew with Air India use to be away from the matrimonial home whereas the deceased was mostly working from home. Further worsening his condition as regards consumption of alcohol. The learned counsel contends that unless there is evidence of positive instigation on the part of the accused, mere marital discord, quarrels or emotional outburst cannot amount to abetment. Reliance is placed on the judgments in the cases of Shenbagavalli & others Vs. Inspector of Police, Kancheepuram District & another, 2025(2) MLJ (Criminal) 506 and Mohit Singhal & another Vs. The State of Uttarakhand & others, 2024(1) RCR (Criminal). 4. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner. 5. A bare perusal of the FIR which has been registered at the instance of the father of the deceased would reveal that the deceased was physically and mentally tortured. The petitioner repeatedly asked him for a divorce and claimed that he was having an extra-marital affair and therefore, she too would indulge in physical relations with other men. She would insult and abuse the deceased on various occasions using derogatory and abusive JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -7- language. As per the contents of the FIR, the immediate precipitation for the occurrence is that on 15.03.2022 the petitioner had call her colleague Vikas to the house on the pretext of some project work and he remained in the house till late. She called the deceased to ask him as to when he would return and stated that if he was not returning soon her colleague Vikas would stay over for the night. When the deceased returned back and questioned the petitioner regarding the presence of Vikas in the house, she started abusing him. All these facts have been narrated by the deceased to his mother and father. Further, certain phone call recordings also prima facie establish the culpability of the petitioner as is apparent from the challan. 6. As regards delay in the registration of the FIR, it is clearly disclosed in the FIR itself that the complaint was not made earlier on account of severe grief and the respondent No.2 was not in the right frame of mind. 7. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Ude Singh & others Vs. State of Haryana, 2019(5) RCR (Criminal) 971 has opined that incessant harassment would amount to abetment. The relevant extract of the judgment is reproduced hereinbelow:- 16.1 For the purpose of finding out if a person has abetted commission of suicide by another, the consideration would be if the accused is guilty of the act of instigation of the act of suicide. As explained and reiterated by this Court in the decisions above- referred, instigation means to goad, urge forward, provoke, incite or encourage to do an act. If the persons who committed suicide had been hypersensitive and the action of accused is otherwise not ordinarily expected to induce a similarly circumstanced JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -8- person to commit suicide, it may not be safe to hold the accused guilty of abetment of suicide. But, on the other hand, if the accused by his acts and by his continuous course of conduct creates a situation which leads the deceased perceiving no other option except to commit suicide, the case may fall within the four-corners of Section 306 IPC. If the accused plays an active role in tarnishing the self-esteem and self-respect of the victim, which eventually draws the victim to commit suicide, the accused may be held guilty of abetment of suicide. The question of mens rea on the part of the accused in such cases would be examined with reference to the actual acts and deeds of the accused and if the acts and deeds are only of such nature where the accused intended nothing more than harassment or snap show of anger, a particular case may fall short of the offence of abetment of suicide. However, if the accused kept on irritating or annoying the deceased by words or deeds until the deceased reacted or was provoked, a particular case may be that of abetment of suicide. Such being the matter of delicate analysis of human behaviour, each case is required to be examined on its own facts, while taking note of all the surrounding factors having bearing on the actions and psyche of the accused and the deceased. **** **** **** 18. Coming to the material points for determination in the matter, the question as to whether the accused persons were guilty of the actions and utterances imputed on them does not detain us much longer. The fact that they indeed did so and made such utterances is amply established in the testimony of the prosecution witnesses, particularly PW-1, PW-2 and PW-11, as noticed above. It is also established beyond doubt that such utterances were not of a solitary or one-off incident but the accused, working in unison, had continuously made the imputed JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -9- utterances towards the daughter of the complainant and continuously taunted the girl, who committed suicide next day after her last encounter with the accused. In the given fact situation, the question is as to whether such actions and utterances of the accused persons lead to the offence of abetment of suicide or only to the offence of insult and/or intimidation? 19. Having examined the record in its totality, we are clearly of the view that the actions and utterances of the accused, directed towards the deceased on continuous basis, had driven her to suicide; and accused persons are guilty of the offence of abetment of suicide. **** **** **** 22. Taking an overall view of the matter, we are satisfied that the present one had not been a case of a mere eve-teasing, insult or intimidation but the continuous and repeated acts and utterances of the accused persons were calculated to bring disgrace to the village girl and to destroy her self-esteem; rather the acts and utterances were aimed at taking her to the brink of helplessness and to the vanishing point of tolerance. It had not been a case of mere intimidation or insult. The incessant intimidation and insult of the innocent girl had been of instigation; and such instigation clearly answers to the description of abetment of suicide. Therefore, in our view, the accused Nos. 1 and 3 have rightly been held guilty of offence of abetment of suicide. 8. The judgments relied upon by the learned counsel for the petitioner are distinguishable on facts. In Shenbagavalli (supra), the proceedings were quashed as there was nothing to indicate that on the date of the incident or any time in close proximity thereof there was an act of instigation on the part of the accused. In JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-73814-2025 -10- the present case, the FIR clearly reveals that on 15/16.03.2022 the petitioner had brought home her colleague Vikas who stayed at the house till late in the absence of the deceased. On 17.03.2022, the petitioner assaulted the deceased and threatened him that she would leave him. On the same night, he committed suicide. Therefore, there is a close, proximate and a live link between the harassment and the consequential act of suicide. In Mohit Singhal (supra) there was a monetary dispute between the accused and the deceased in which situation the Hon’ble Supreme Court held that it could not be concluded that the accused had instigated the deceased to commit suicide merely by demanding payment of the amount even if it was done so in an aggressive manner. In the instant case, there are allegations of continuous harassment of a wife of her husband as regards his character and the wife has threatened him repeatedly with infidelity. 9. Keeping in view the aforementioned facts and circumstances, as the offence is prima facie established the question of quashing of the FIR does not arise. Therefore, the present petition stands dismissed. 10. However, the observations made hereinabove are only for the purposes of deciding the present petition and the Trial Court is free to adjudicate upon the matter on the basis of the evidence led before it uninfluenced by any such observations made herein. (JASJIT SINGH BEDI) JUDGE 15.07.2026 JITESH Whether speaking/reasoned:- Yes/No Whether reportable:- Yes/No JITESH LAL 2026.07.17 17:13 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document