Scolding or Workload Alone Not Abetment to Suicide, Says Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Jahid Baig alias Jahid Jamal Beg, a sitting MLA from Bhadohi, in a case involving the death by suicide of an 18-year-old domestic help, Nazia, who had been working in his home for nearly a decade.

The bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh, while allowing the bail plea, held that there was no prima facie evidence to establish abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, by the legislator or his family members.

The tragic incident occurred on the night of September 8–9, 2024, when Nazia was found hanging in a storeroom on the third floor of the MLA’s residence. Her death sparked concerns of child labour and alleged harassment in a politically sensitive setting. Another minor girl, Moni alias Sania, was rescued from the same household the next day during a joint raid ordered by the District Magistrate.

According to Moni’s statement, both girls were often overburdened and scolded, sometimes even slapped. However, the court observed that such statements, while concerning, did not amount to instigation under the law.

Nazia’s father Imran and cousin Zubair initially refrained from making any accusations against the applicant. Later, Nazia’s mother submitted an application under Section 173(4) BNSS against a young man named Abhishek Saroj—claiming that Nazia had been in a relationship with him and was being blackmailed over intimate photographs, which allegedly led to her suicide.

The single judge bench placed weight on Nazia’s call records, which showed extended conversations with Abhishek in the hours leading up to her death. It noted that these details, combined with the mother's complaint, “supported and corroborated” the theory that the alleged blackmail may have triggered her suicide.

Further undermining the prosecution’s case was the unexplained five-day delay in lodging the FIR, despite the police and district officials visiting the scene on September 10, a day after the suicide.

“As per statement of Moni with whom deceased-Nazia was working in the house of the applicant, that sometimes applicant scolded the deceased for work. Even assuming the same as correct at this stage, the same cannot be categorised as instigation or abetment to commit suicide,” the court held, adding that there was no suicide note, no direct incitement by the applicant, and no allegations of abetment from the deceased’s parents.

However, court emphasized that its findings were restricted to bail and should not influence the merits of the ongoing trial. Jahid Baig, who had been in custody since September 19, 2024, was directed to cooperate with the proceedings and barred from leaving the country.

Case Title: Jahid Baig alias Jahid Jamal Beg vs. State of UP