Ashokbhai Bhakabhai Rabari vs State Of Gujarat on 12 March, 2026

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    Gujarat High Court

    Ashokbhai Bhakabhai Rabari vs State Of Gujarat on 12 March, 2026

                                                                                                                         NEUTRAL CITATION
    
    
    
    
                                R/CR.MA/26891/2025                                      JUDGMENT DATED: 12/03/2026
    
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                                         IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
    
    
                                  R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR QUASHING & SET ASIDE
                                                FIR/ORDER) NO. 26891 of 2025
    
                           ================================================================
                                                          ASHOKBHAI BHAKABHAI RABARI
                                                                     Versus
                                                            STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
                           ================================================================
                           Appearance:
                           MR NIRUPAM NANAVATY with MR VIJAY H NANGESH(3981) for the
                           Applicant(s) No. 1
                           MR MANAN MAHETA, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
                           MR MANGAL V GADHAVI(11922) for the Respondent(s) No. 2
                           ================================================================
    
                                CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE VIMAL K. VYAS
    
                                                                Date : 12/03/2026
    
                                                               ORAL JUDGMENT

    1. RULE returnable forthwith. Learned APP Mr.Manan

    Maheta waives service of notice of rule for and on behalf of the

    SPONSORED

    respondent no.1 – State and learned advocate Mr.Mangal

    V.Gadhvi waives service of notice of rule for and on behalf of the

    respondent no.2 – complainant.

    2. By way of preferring the present application under Section

    528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the

    present applicant-accused seeks to invoke the inherent powers

    of this Court, praying to quash and set-aside the First

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    Information Report No.11198047251252 of 2025 lodged before

    the Sihor Police Station, District Bhavnagar, for the offences

    punishable under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,

    2023, and under Sections 40 and 42 of the Gujarat Money

    Lenders Act, 2011.

    3. It is the case of the prosecution that the deceased (i.e. the

    father of the complainant) had borrowed an amount of

    Rs.20,000=00 from the present applicant in the year 2020, and

    he was regularly paying interest on it to the present applicant. It

    is alleged that though the deceased had repaid the principal

    amount, the applicant was further demanding Rs.30,000=00

    from the deceased, due to which the deceased was remaining

    under constant stress and tension. It is the case of the

    prosecution that the applicant was frequently calling the

    deceased and demanding the money. It is alleged that due to the

    torture exerted upon the deceased by the applicant regarding

    repayment of his dues, the deceased took the drastic step of

    committing suicide by hanging himself in his house.

    4. Heard learned senior advocate Mr.Nirupam D.Nanavaty

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    assisted by Mr.Vijay Nangesh, learned advocate appearing for

    the applicant-accused, learned APP Mr.Manan Maheta appearing

    for the respondent no. 1 – State and learned advocate Mr.Mangal

    V.Gadhvi appearing for the respondent no.2 – Complainant.

    5. Learned senior advocate Mr.Nirupam D.Nanavaty has

    submitted that the FIR lodged by the first informant is palpably

    false and there is not an iota of evidence to implicate the present

    applicant-accused with the alleged offence. The prosecution has

    remained silent as to what had happened soon before the

    incident. Learned advocate has further submitted that the

    proximity between the alleged act of instigation by the applicant-

    accused and the commission of suicide by the deceased has not

    been proved. He has further submitted that except the statement

    of the complainant (who is the son of the deceased), there is no

    other evidence to connect the present applicant with the alleged

    offence. It is further submitted that the complainant has made

    vague, omnibus and general allegations against the applicant-

    accused, and the FIR, even if it is considered at its face value,

    the same could not even establish the offence as alleged in the

    FIR.

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    6. Learned senior advocate Mr.Nanavaty, while taking this

    Court through the factual matrix of the case, has submitted that

    on bare perusal of the impugned FIR, it clearly appears that the

    only allegation levelled against the present applicant is that he

    had demanded repayment of the loan amount and the interest

    thereon. It is submitted that there are no allegations against the

    present applicant that he had administered any threat to the

    deceased or had used abusive language or incited or provoked

    the deceased soon before committing suicide by the deceased. It

    is submitted that repeated demands of money cannot be

    considered as instigation to commit suicide within the meaning

    of Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

    Furthermore, it is submitted that the material on record

    contains no allegation of instigation, intentional aid, or active

    participation by the applicant to induce the deceased to commit

    suicide. Mr.Nanavaty has also submitted that the allegation of

    mental stress or financial pressure, without any direct and

    proximate act by the applicant, are not sufficient to constitute

    the alleged offence.

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    7. Learned senior advocate Mr.Nanavaty has submitted that

    the prosecution has not proved beyond reasonable doubt the

    essential ingredients of the offence punishable under Section

    108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or the offence

    punishable under Sections 40 and 42 of the Gujarat Money

    Lenders Act, 2011. He has further submitted that the key

    elements of mens rea and instigation as required under Section

    45 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, are missing.

    Admittedly, there is no suicide note by the deceased or phone

    call details or any other evidence produced by the prosecution,

    which prima facie establish the involvement of the present

    applicant in the alleged offence. Furthermore, the bare perusal of

    the impugned FIR would suggest that there was no direct or

    indirect nexus between the alleged act of the applicant and

    suicide by the deceased. He has, therefore, submitted that,

    considering the entire FIR stricto sensu at face value, no offence

    is made out.

    8. In support of his argument, learned senior advocate

    Mr.Nanavaty has relied upon the decision of the Supreme Court

    rendered in the case of Mahendra Awase vs. State of Madhya

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    Pradesh, reported in (2025) 4 SCC 810, and of this Court

    rendered in the case of Prakash Chandulal Patel vs. State of

    Gujarat (Criminal Misc. Application No.6506 of 2022 decided on

    19.11.2025).

    9. Learned senior advocate Mr.Nanavaty has, therefore, urged

    that considering the aforesaid, the present application may be

    allowed and the impugned FIR may be quashed and set aside.

    10. Per contra, learned APP Mr.Manan Maheta appearing for

    the respondent – State has vehemently opposed the present

    application and has submitted that having regard to the

    gravamen and seriousness of the offence, the consent quashing

    would not be permissible. He has further submitted that the

    evidence on record clearly establishes the complicity of the

    present applicant in the alleged offence. While taking this Court

    through the factual matrix of the case, learned APP Mr.Maheta

    has submitted that even in the past also, similar type of offence

    was registered against the present applicant, and in that case

    also, due to the torture exerted by the applicant for recovery of

    the amount, the person had committed suicide. Mr.Maheta has

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    submitted that even in the case on hand, two witnesses have

    specifically stated that prior to the occurrence of the incident,

    the deceased was staying disturbed and in a tense state of mind.

    He has, therefore, submitted that considering the aforesaid, no

    doubt, there appears complicity of the present applicant in the

    alleged offence. Hence, he has prayed that the present

    application may not be entertained and the same may be

    rejected.

    11. Learned advocate Mr.Mangal V.Gadhvi appearing for the

    respondent no.2 – original complainant, namely, Riyazbhai

    Bahadurbhai Makrani (who is the son of the deceased), has

    submitted that the dispute between him and the present

    applicant has been settled and there is no grievance amongst

    them. He has further submitted that due to some

    misunderstanding between the deceased and the applicant, the

    unfortunate incident had occurred. Learned advocate Mr.Gadhvi

    has also submitted that the complainant has tendered an

    affidavit dated 09.01.2026 in this regard, wherein, he has

    unequivocally stated that since the matter has been settled, he

    has no grudge or grievance against the present applicant-

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    accused. The complainant has further stated that he does not

    want to proceed further with the matter and has no objection if

    the application is allowed and the impugned FIR is quashed and

    set-aside.

    12. The complainant – Riyazbhai Bahadurbhai Makrani, who is

    personally present in the Court, has admitted the contents of the

    affidavit filed by him. He has further stated that since the

    dispute has been amicably settled with the present applicant, he

    does not want to proceed further with the matter and he has no

    objection if the application is allowed and the impugned FIR is

    quashed and set-aside.

    13. This Court is conscious of the fact that in such type of

    serious offences, the FIR cannot be quashed only on the basis of

    the consent and the court has to consider the merits of the case

    and to form an opinion, whether the ingredients of Section 107

    are attracted or not ? In other words, by examining the

    materials on record, the court would require to form an opinion,

    whether, there is a prima facie case against the present

    applicant-accused, which requires a full-fledged trial.

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    14. It is settled that to attract Section 107 of the IPC, the

    accused must have mens rea to instigate the deceased to commit

    suicide. The act of instigation must be of such intensity that it is

    intended to push the deceased to such a position under which

    he or she has no choice but to commit suicide. Such instigation

    must be in close proximity to the act of committing suicide. In

    the present case, it appears from the materials on record that

    there is no suicide note by the deceased, and further there is no

    evidence on record to suggest as to what had happened soon

    before the incident. Even after perusing the impugned FIR, this

    Court does not find that the essential ingredients of Section 107

    of the Indian Penal Code are attracted.

    15. At this juncture, I may refer to the decision of the Supreme

    Court in case of Shenbagavalli and others vs. Inspector of

    Police, Kancheepuram District and another, reported in 2025

    INSC 607, wherein the Supreme Court held as under :-

    “15. Section 306 requires a person having committed
    suicide as a first requirement but for abetment of such
    commission, which is essential, the ingredients must be
    found in Section 107 IPC. The requirement of abetment

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    under Section 107 IPC is instigation, secondly engagement
    by himself or with other person in any conspiracy for doing
    such thing or act or a legal omission in pursuance to that
    conspiracy and thirdly intentionally aids by any act or an
    illegal omission of doing that thing. In large number of
    judgments of this Court it stands established that the
    essential ingredients of the offense under Section 306 IPC
    are (i) the abetment; (ii) intention of the accused to aid and
    instigate or abet the deceased to commit suicide. Merely
    because the act of an accused is highly insulting to the
    deceased by using abusive language would not by itself
    constitute abetment of suicide. There should be evidence
    suggesting that the accused intended by such act to
    instigate the deceased to commit suicide. [M.Arjunan vs.
    State
    represented by its Inspector of Police, (2019) 3 SCC
    315]

    16. Similarly, in the case of Ude Singh and Others vs.
    State of Haryana
    , (2019) 17 SCC 301 it has been observed
    in para 16 as follows :-

    “16. In cases of alleged abetment of suicide, there
    must be a proof of direct or indirect act(s) of incitement
    to the commission of suicide. It could hardly be
    disputed that the question of cause of a suicide,
    particularly in the context of an offence of abetment of
    suicide, remains a vexed one, involving multifaceted
    and complex attributes of human behaviour and
    responses/reactions. In the case of accusation for

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    abetment of suicide, the court would be looking for
    cogent and convincing proof of the act(s) of incitement
    to the commission of suicide. In the case of suicide,
    mere allegation of harassment of the deceased by
    another person would not suffice unless there be such
    action on the part of the accused which compels the
    person to commit suicide; and such an offending action
    ought to be proximate to the time of occurrence.
    Whether a person has abetted in the commission of
    suicide by another or not, could only be gathered from
    the facts and circumstances of each case.

    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 the accused is
    otherwise not ordinarily expected to induce a similarly
    circumstanced 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

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    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.

    17. These being the essential ingredients for the offence of
    abetment to suicide, and the said ingredients having not
    been fulfilled, the further continuation of proceedings would
    not be sustainable. The other evidence such as statements,
    sought to be relied upon by the prosecution, apart from the
    suicide note, does not in any manner advance the case of
    the prosecution, particularly when the foundation of the case
    is the suicide note itself. With the very element of abetment

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    conspicuously absent from the allegations made in the FIR
    which is primarily based upon the suicide note, the essential
    requirements for constituting an offence under Section 306
    IPC remain unfulfilled. As such, the continuation of the
    criminal proceedings initiated against the Appellants would
    amount to an abuse of the process of law. The Court cannot
    permit such proceedings to degenerate into instruments of
    harassment or unjust prosecution.

    18. The Court would not hesitate to exercise its
    extraordinary powers which are inherent to quash such
    proceedings when it comes to fore, and the court is satisfied
    that allowing the proceedings to continue would be an abuse
    of process of Court or that the ends of the justice require that
    the proceedings ought to be quashed. Reference in this
    regard may be made to the Judgment of this Court in Geo
    Varghese vs. State of Rajasthan and Another
    , (2021) 19
    SCC 144.”

    16. This Court has given thoughtful consideration to the rival

    submissions canvassed by learned APP appearing for the

    respondent – State as well as considered the materials on record.

    It is the case of the prosecution that in the year 2019, the

    deceased (i.e. the father of the complainant) had borrowed

    Rs.20,000=00 from the present applicant, towards which, he was

    regularly paying Rs.2,000=00 a month as interest to the present

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    applicant. It is alleged by the complainant in the complaint that

    even though his father had repaid the loan amount with interest

    to the applicant, yet the applicant was demanding additional

    Rs.30,000=00 from him. Therefore, due to the mental torture

    exerted upon him by the applicant, the deceased committed

    suicide by hanging himself in the house on 07.12.2025.

    Admittedly, there is no suicide note on record. The only evidence

    on record is the verbal statement of the complainant, who has

    stated that his father had borrowed Rs.20,000=00 from the

    present applicant and was regularly paying Rs.2,000=00 per

    month as interest on it. It is further stated by the complainant

    that on 24.11.2025, his mother – Hamidaben had called him up

    and informed that his father, i.e. the deceased, has been staying

    disturbed and is in a tense state of mind as the present

    applicant is demanding additional Rs.30,000=00 though he has

    been paid all his dues with interest. It appears from the record

    that, except the verbal statement of the complainant, there is no

    other documentary evidence to prove that the deceased had

    borrowed any amount from the applicant or that he was

    regularly paying Rs.2,000=00 as interest to the applicant. The

    only evidence available on record is that the deceased had paid

    Rs.20,000=00 to the present applicant through GPay. However,

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    there is no clear and explicit evidence indicating the purpose of

    the said transaction. Furthermore, there are no call records or

    CDRs to suggest that the present applicant was threatening or

    torturing the deceased, which led the deceased to such a

    position under which he had no choice but to commit suicide.

    There are statements of two witnesses acquainted with the

    deceased, which suggest that the deceased was staying

    disturbed and was under a tense state of mind, however, there is

    no direct or indirect evidence of torture exerted upon the

    deceased by the present applicant.

    17. Taking into consideration the aforesaid, for the sake of

    argument, even if the court believes that the applicant was

    demanding the money, that itself cannot attract the elements of

    Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code since there is no call

    details or CDRs or even a statement of any eye-witness to

    suggest that the present applicant was threatening or torturing

    or had threatened or tortured the applicant soon before the

    incident for recovery of the borrowed amount, which led the

    deceased to take an extreme step of committing suicide. It is

    noteworthy that there is no suicide note, no eye-witness or no

    CDR, which suggests the nexus between the act or omission on

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    the part of the present applicant and committing suicide by the

    deceased.

    18. In Mahendra Awase (supra), the Supreme Court has held

    in paragraph 20 as under :-

    “20. Applying the above principle to the facts of the present
    case, we are convinced that there are no grounds to frame
    charges under Section 306 IPC against the appellant. This is
    so even if we take the prosecution’s case on a demurrer and
    at its highest. A reading of the suicide note reveals that the
    appellant was asking the deceased to repay the loan
    guaranteed by the deceased and advanced to Ritesh
    Malakar.”

    19. The Supreme Court further observed in paragraphs 22 to

    25 as under :-

    “22. It could certainly not be said that the appellant by his
    acts created circumstances which left the deceased with no
    other option except to commit suicide. Viewed from the
    armchair of the appellant, the exchanges with the deceased,
    albeit heated, are not with intent to leave the deceased with
    no other option but to commit suicide. This is the conclusion
    we draw taking a realistic approach, keeping the context

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    and the situation in mind. Strangely, the FIR has also been
    lodged after a delay of two months and twenty days.

    23. This Court has, over the last several decades,
    repeatedly reiterated the higher threshold, mandated by law
    for Section 306 IPC [Now Section 108 read with Section 45 of
    the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023] to be attracted. They
    however seem to have followed more in the breach. Section
    306
    IPC appears to be casually and too readily resorted to
    by the police. While the persons involved in genuine cases
    where the threshold is met should not be spared, the
    provision should not be deployed against individuals, only to
    assuage the immediate feelings of the distraught family of
    the deceased.

    24. The conduct of the proposed accused and the
    deceased, their interactions and conversations preceding the
    unfortunate death of the deceased should be approached
    from a practical point of view and not divorced from day-to-
    day realities of life. Hyperboles employed in exchanges
    should not, without anything more, be glorified as an
    instigation to commit suicide. It is time the investigating
    agencies are sensitised to the law laid down by this Court
    under Section 306 so that persons are not subjected to the
    abuse of process of a totally untenable prosecution. The trial
    courts also should exercise great caution and circumspection
    and should not adopt a play it safe syndrome by
    mechanically framing charges, even if the investigating

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    agencies in a given case have shown utter disregard for the
    ingredients of Section 306.

    25. For the above reasons, we hold that the case against
    the appellant is groundless for framing of a charge under
    Section 306. Hence, we discharge the appellant from
    proceedings in Sessions Case No. 19 of 2023 pending on the
    file of First Additional Sessions Judge, Khargone District,
    Mandleshwar and quash and set aside the said
    proceedings. The appeal is allowed and the impugned order
    dated 25.07.2023 passed by the High Court in Criminal
    Revision No. 1142 of 2023 is set aside.”

    20. If we consider the facts of the present case in light of the

    aforesaid observations made by the Supreme Court, in absence

    of any other evidence, it clearly appears that the demand made

    by the applicant for repayment of his dues was not with an

    intent to push the deceased to such a position under which he

    had no choice except to commit suicide.

    21. Undoubtedly, there are criminal antecedents against the

    present applicant, and a similar type of case has also been

    registered against him; however, as pointed out by learned

    senior advocate Mr.Nanavaty, the competent court of law, after

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    appreciating the evidence, acquitted the applicant. Therefore, in

    the considered opinion of this Court, in the absence of any

    connecting material on record that attracts the elements of

    Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code, the same cannot form the

    sole basis for refusing to exercise the powers conferred upon this

    Court.

    22. This Court is quite conscious of the fact that the power

    under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

    (corresponding Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha

    Sanhita, 2023), is extraordinary, and it should be used

    sparingly, as the exercise of such power would scuttle the FIR at

    the threshold. But, if the FIR fails to make out essential

    ingredients of the offence, the power should be exercised. Upshot

    of the above discussion, the present application deserves

    consideration.

    23. In the result, the present application is allowed. The First

    Information Report No.11198047251252 of 2025 lodged before

    the Sihor Police Station, District Bhavnagar, for the offences

    punishable under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,

    2023, and under Sections 40 and 42 of the Gujarat Money

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    NEUTRAL CITATION

    R/CR.MA/26891/2025 JUDGMENT DATED: 12/03/2026

    undefined

    Lenders Act, 2011, is hereby ordered to be quashed and set-

    aside. All consequential proceedings arising pursuant thereto are

    also quashed and set-aside.

    24. Rule made absolute. Direct service is permitted.

    (VIMAL K. VYAS, J.)
    /MOINUDDIN

    Page 20 of 20

    Uploaded by M.A. SAIYED(HC00172) on Thu Mar 12 2026 Downloaded on : Fri Mar 13 01:19:12 IST 2026



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