Section 107 BNS: Abetment of suicide of child or person of unsound mind

Section 107 BNS of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) deals with abetment of suicide where the person who commits suicide is a child, a person of unsound mind, a delirious person, or a person in a state of intoxication. In simple terms, if someone intentionally pushes, encourages, aids, or otherwise induces such a person to take their own life, the law treats that conduct very seriously. The focus is on the accused person's role in causing the suicide, not merely on the fact that a death occurred.

This provision matters because the law recognises that children, persons of unsound mind, and delirious or intoxicated persons are especially vulnerable and may not have the same capacity to resist pressure, threats, or manipulation. In practice, investigators and courts look for a clear link between the accused's acts and the suicide. Mere presence, harsh words without intent, or a distant connection is not enough.

Section 107 BNS replaces Section 305 IPC from the old criminal code.

Section 305 IPC is now Section 107 BNS. The heading is updated to Abetment of suicide of child or person of unsound mind. In the statutory text, any person under eighteen years of age becomes any child, and any insane person, any idiot is replaced by any person of unsound mind, while delirious persons and persons in a state of intoxication are retained. The punishment of death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment up to ten years, and liability to fine remains unchanged.