‘Broken relationships, heartbreaks common’: Delhi High Court grants bail to professor in teacher’s death case

The court also pointed out that a trial would only establish whether the extreme step of the woman was due to provocation or merely because she was a “hyper-sensitive” girl or for some other reason.

‘Broken relationship, drastic step’

• It appears to be a case of a broken relationship where the school teacher killed herself after getting to know that the accused had married someone else.
• The parties were in a relationship for around eight years, and during these eight years, there was no complaint from the side of the school teacher.
• There is no dying declaration of the woman which reveals her thoughts before the court when she took such a drastic step.
• The diaries, which have been recovered from her house, seem to contain her manifestation.
• Being in a love-relationship, she wished to transform her desire into a reality.
• Some of the friends of the school teacher had pointed out that she was upset when the accused stopped talking to her.
• None of her friends claimed anything in relation to the conversion to religion.
• There is a considerable time gap between the date when the accused and the school teacher stopped talking and the date of her death.
• The petitioner is directed to be released on bail on his furnishing personal bond and surety bond for Rs 25,000 each, subject to the satisfaction of the trial court.
• He should not try to contact and influence any witness or family member of the deceased, directly or indirectly.

Instigation and mens rea

• The abetment would come into play when a person instigates another to do a particular thing.
• Instigation means to provoke or encourage a person to do an act, and to prove such instigation, there has to be a clear mens rea (mental element of intention) on the part of the concerned accused.
• The instigation should be of such a nature that leaves the school teacher with no option but to commit suicide.

Objection of school teacher’s parents, no dying note

• The accused, through its counsel, Senior Advocate Amit Chadha, claimed that his client was in a cordial relation of last around eight years and had decided to tie themselves in wedding-knot.
• However, due to their different religions, the parents of the woman were opposed to such a relationship, and they were the ones who forced her to sever this relationship.
• Due to the strong objection of her parents, they eventually got separated in February 2025, and in March 2025, the accused got married to another girl.

• There is no death note or any other proof to support any such alleged provocation or instigation.
• On the other hand, the parties were in a love relationship for seven or eight years and, during such period, the woman had never revealed any provocation or instigation to anyone.
• The accused has deep roots in society, and his reputation has already taken an adverse toll on account of the present incident and consequent arrest.
• He has no criminal antecedents.
• The accused is a patient of chronic allergic bronchitis and is having ACL tear in his right knee, for which he requires continuous medical supervision.

‘Mental stress’

• Appearing for the state, assistant public prosecutor Sunil Kumar Gautam reiterated that the woman was under severe mental stress on account of the conduct of the accused, who continued to pressurise her for conversion.
• Later, the accused distanced himself from her, which caused significant psychological distress and seems to be the main reason for her death.
• They opposed the bail plea as he may threaten the witnesses or the family members of the school teacher and may abscond if released on bail.
• Her father claimed that his daughter was trapped by the accused.
• He also alleged that the accused established a relationship with her and continued to influence her sentiments under the guise of love.

‘Eight-year relationship’

• The woman, a school teacher, was in an alleged relationship with the accused for around eight years.
• She came into contact with the accused during her academic pursuit and started communicating with him frequently.
• It was also claimed that the accused started pressurising her to convert her religion, claiming that he would marry her only after such conversion.
• The woman was allegedly under pressure and killed herself on October 24, 2025 follwing the marriage of the accused with another woman.