Mumbai: A sessions court said Anant Garje, personal assistant to state environment minister Pankaja Munde, cannot be said to have abetted the suicide by his wife, observing that, in the given facts of the case, the deceased reacted disproportionately to a common life stressor. “Basically, it’s evident that the deceased was mentally disturbed having known the fact of the extra-marital affair of her husband, that is, the applicant, and having not been cared, given time and having threatened by the applicant to commit suicide. The record of the case nowhere reveals that the applicant had requisite mens rea for the commission of suicide of the deceased or he ever had instigated, aided or conspired for the commission of the suicide,” additional sessions judge R J Pawar said.The judge made the observations in a detailed order granting bail to the 31-year-old who was arrested in Nov in connection with the death of his wife, Gauri, a dental surgeon. The judge further said marital discord and allegations of harassment, without a direct and proximate link to the act of suicide, do not satisfy the legal requirements for a conviction of abetment. “There is also no evidence of proximity between the alleged provocation and the act of suicide. It also transpires from the record that the applicant did not play a direct role in the decision making of the deceased for committing the suicide,” the judge said. The judge noted Garje cannot be said to have abetted the suicide by the deceased. “On the contrary, the record reveals that the deceased reacted disproportionately to a common life stressor,” the judge said. While Garge was granted bail on Monday, the detailed order was made available on Tuesday. “Without a positive act on the part of the accused to instigate or aid in committing suicide, conviction is difficult to sustain. To constitute abetment, there must be a clear intention to push the deceased to a point where he or she has no option but to end his or her life,” the judge said. In the six-page order, the judge noted for an individual to be held liable, the prosecution must prove the accused instigated or intentionally aided the commission of suicide. Further, the judge found a lack of evidence regarding the timing of alleged harassment relative to the death observing, “…Supreme Court has frequently cited that there must be a direct and proximate link between the alleged provocation and the act of suicide. If the alleged harassment occurred weeks or months before the suicide, the chain of causation is broken.”In Nov 2025, a complaint was lodged by the deceased’s father, alleging the victim who worked at Sion Hospital, discovered Garje’s affair shortly after their marriage in Feb 2025. The complainant alleged when confronted, Garje threatened suicide himself and name the deceased in a suicide note, while other relatives allegedly threatened to arrange a second marriage for him. The prosecution argued Garje’s conduct, physical and mental torture, incited to end her life.Concluding that the need for custodial interrogation had disappeared with the filing of the chargesheet and that the applicant was not a flight risk, the court allowed the bail application. “The applicant has already spent significant time in jail and the trial will take years together for its conclusion. The alleged offence is not punishable with death or life imprisonment. The applicant has undertaken to abide by the conditions of bail,” the judge said.During the proceedings, Garje’s lawyer Mangesh Deshmukh argued that further custodial interrogation was unnecessary as the investigation was largely complete and the charge sheet had been filed. The defence submitted that the case reflected an emotional outburst rather than active instigation. It was also submitted that the co-accused, Garje’s siblings, in the matter had already been granted anticipatory bail, and Garje sought parity in his release.The prosecution and the complainant’s lawyer strongly opposed the bail plea, citing the sensitive nature of the case involving a young doctor. They submitted on the existence of multiple audio clips currently under forensic examination and argued that Garje, who served as a personal assistant to a state cabinet minister, could potentially influence witnesses or tamper with evidence if released.
