Bombay High Court Quashes Murder Conviction Of Woman Who Killed Her Rapist Who Harassed Her To Withdraw Complaint

The Bombay High Court quashed the conviction of a woman accused of murdering her rapist, finding that the act was committed under grave provocation. The deceased repeatedly harassed the survivor to withdraw her complaint, triggering loss of self-control. The Court applied Exception 1 to Section 300 IPC, converting the offence to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It recognized the psychological trauma and persistent provocation suffered by the woman and emphasized contextual understanding of intent and mental state in assessing criminal liability.