The Allahabad High Court has refused to quash the First Information Report (FIR) against the wife and family members of Manav Sharma, a TCS manager who allegedly committed suicide in Agra. The FIR accuses them of abetting his suicide.
Justices Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Prashant Kumar dismissed a writ petition on Wednesday that sought to interfere with the FIR lodged by Manav Sharma’s father. The petition was filed by Nipendra Kumar Sharma, Manav’s father-in-law, and three other relatives.
Upon reviewing the FIR, the court concluded that it prima facie revealed the commission of a cognizable offense. Citing a precedent from the Supreme Court in the case of State of Haryana vs. Bhajan Lal, the judges found no grounds to interfere with the ongoing legal proceedings. The court’s decision allows the petitioners the option to seek anticipatory bail from a competent court as permissible under the law.
The FIR, filed on February 28 at the Sadar Bazar Police Station in Agra, implicates Manav’s wife, Nikita, her parents, and her siblings. The complaint alleges that their actions and behavior contributed to Manav’s decision to end his life on February 24 in Defence Colony, Agra, just a month after his marriage in January 2024.
Counsel for the petitioners argued that the accusations were baseless, motivated by malicious intent, and that the family members were wrongfully implicated. They contended that the allegations were “highly improbable and unbelievable,” and thus the FIR should be quashed.
However, additional government advocates opposed the plea, maintaining that the FIR disclosed a cognizable offence warranting further investigation.
