New Delhi: A majority of the states and Union Territories supported the proposal to decriminalise the attempt to suicide which is currently a punishable offence.
“Eighteen states and four Union Territory administrations have supported that Section 309 of the IPC may be deleted. Keeping in view the responses from the states/UTs, it has been decided to delete Section 309 of IPC from the statute book,” he said in reply to a written question.
Union home ministry officials said that the ministry will place a comprehensive bill in Parliament for amendments to the IPC and CrPC where the deletion of Section 309 forms an important part.
The other amendments to the Indian Penal Code will include making dowry a “compoundable” offence by tweaking Section 498-A IPC and also raising the fine for false allegations of dowry harassment from Rs 1,000 to Rs 15,000.
The comprehensive Bill prepared by the MHA, which is being sent to the Union Cabinet for its final approval, also includes a key provision to make bribery during elections an offence, which can attract a two-year jail term without the provision of bail. The offence is currently bailable and attracts only one-year jail term.
Section 323 IPC will also be tweaked to make “torture” by public servants an offence that can land government servants in jail for three years. The move aims at addressing the issue of custodial torture.
