Suicide Attempt: A Crime?

Suicide is a crime under Indian Penal Code. It is perhaps the only case where the successful criminal can’t be punished. The law can take its course if one attempts and remains alive.

There are other measures to discourage the suicide, like the insurance. Sometimes, the beneficiary hides the ‘suicide act’ in order to get the insurance money. But, such measures are immaterial for somebody who has left the mortal world.

Most of the Religions also condemn this act, but if a person really commits suicide then they can only offer the condolences to the near and dears. After all, how the dead can be preached! 

Affected by this religious as well as legal understanding, almost all of us perceive this act as something “not good” for the civilized society.

Is it the right perception?

What happens to the person because of this general perception?

She may try to hide his feeling to avoid the ridicule. He may plan it secretly to avoid the legal implication. He or she may use it to take revenge from the family/friends – implicating them in the suicide note.

The skeptic may ask another question:

Why somebody ends this otherwise beautiful god-gift called ‘Life’?

Sometime back, a psychiatrist tried to deconstruct this academic mystery. According to him, there are three broad reasons:

First is Genetic. It is there in the genes. Somebody whose grandpa has committed the suicide is more prone. It’s like one is more likely to have diabetes because of the family history. It does not mean that one will commit it because of the genes. It’s the possibility.

Second is Chemical Imbalance. Dopamine, or something similar, is a chemical in our brain that controls our mood. For some people, this chemistry is not right. It’s similar to not having the proper thyroid level in your body or not having proper secretion of a particular hormone. Not necessarily such deficiency may lead to suicide. But yes, there is a sufficient chance.

Third is behavioral/environment. It depends on the circumstances, like abuse, accidental trauma, grief due to death of near ones, failures in education, profession or relation, and so on. These are difficult times that affect our emotional well-being. Again, it does not lead to suicide automatically but may have the potential to derail.

The theorists can debate for more reasons, but nobody can vouch for sure. These causes are only probabilities.

The real reason may be a sudden impulse caused by multiple factors.

So, can we blame the person for this act? Is he like any other criminal?

Or, is he like any other patient, entitled to get the care?