Activists welcome decriminalization of Section 309

Various activists and lawyers have welcomed the government's decision to strike off Section 309, which criminalizes any attempt to commit suicide, from the Indian Penal Code on the recommendation of the Law Commission of India as long pending and justified.

Dr. Raminder Jit Singh, a suicide prevention activist, said it was a long pending demand and a good decision by the government.

Hailing the government's move, senior lawyer Abha Singh said she also hoped for the decriminalization of Section 377, which criminalizes homosexual acts.

"It is good that the government has decriminalized section 309, hope it goes a step further and also decriminalizes Section 377," said Singh.

Stating that the law was neither justified nor logical, Justice (Retired) RS Sodhi welcomed the government's move.

"I never found any justification or logic of this law, welcome news that government has decided to delete Section 309," said Justice Sodhi.

The government on Wednesday decided to strike off Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the recommendation of the Law Commission of India.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that 18 states and four Union Territory Administrations had 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," said the Home Ministry statement.

Section 309 of the IPC says that whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.