Attempting Suicide Will No Longer be a Crime, Government in Parliament

Attempting suicide will no longer be a crime, the government said in Parliament today. A person who survives a suicide attempt is punished with a one-year jail term and a fine under a rule in the Indian Penal Code that will now be scrapped on a recommendation from the Law Commission. The move will pave the way for the release of human rights activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on hunger strike for the past 14 years. 18 states and four Union Territories have backed the move, according to an official statement. "Keeping in view the responses from the States/UTs, it has been decided to delete Section 309 of IPC from the Statute book," Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. Later, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted: