Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law of IT Executive Who Died by Suicide

BY Rajesh Pandey

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Punam Sharma and her daughter, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law of Manav Sharma, an IT executive who died by suicide in February 2025.

The order was passed by Justice Sameer Jain on Monday, following a hearing that involved arguments from both the applicants’ counsel and the state government.

The applicants’ counsel argued that the two women, being close relatives of Manav’s wife Nikita, had been falsely implicated in the case. It was claimed that there was no substantial evidence suggesting their involvement in abetting the suicide.

“There is no credible proof of abetment. It appears that the deceased took this extreme step due to matrimonial issues with his wife, and the applicants were dragged into the case merely because they are her family members,” the defense counsel submitted.

The court, in its observation, noted that while the applicants were accused of mentally harassing the deceased, the allegations against them were general and lacked specificity or supporting evidence.

“Considering the argument that there is no strong evidence of abetment and that the allegations are broad and non-specific, this court finds merit in the applicants’ plea,” Justice Jain stated.

The court also took into account that both applicants are women with no prior criminal records and have been in custody since March 15, 2025. Based on these considerations, the court ruled that they should be released on bail.

The case stems from an FIR lodged earlier this year under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to abetment of suicide. The complaint was filed against Manav Sharma’s wife, Nikita, her parents, and siblings, alleging their role in his death. Beforeo his suicide, Manav Sharma recorded an emotional video message, which was later recovered by his family.

In the clip, he was seen in tears, speaking about the struggles faced by men and appealing to society to acknowledge their challenges. “Think and talk about men,” he urged repeatedly in the video.

Investigations into the broader case are still ongoing.