New Delhi, July 30 (PTI): The Supreme Court has ruled that even if a woman commits suicide within seven years of marriage, it cannot be automatically inferred that she was driven to kill herself by her husband and in- laws who had ill-treated her earlier.

The “mere fact” that she committed suicide within seven years of marriage and had been subjected to cruelty by her husband or any of her in-laws doesn’t give rise to the “presumption” that the suicide was “abetted” by them, the court said.

The apex court’s observation came with the acquittal of a woman convicted of abetting her daughter-in-law’s suicide.

Under Section 113A of the Indian Evidence Act, a court may presume, on proof of circumstances, that the husband or in-laws of a woman who committed suicide within seven years of marriage had subjected her to cruelty.

But the apex court said one of the circumstances that has to be considered is whether the alleged cruelty could have driven the woman to “commit suicide” or caused “grave injury or danger” to her “life, limbs or health”.