Ministry Of Health Notified Now Attempting Suicide Is Not Crime In India- Law Details

Union Ministry of Health recently notified that attempting suicide is no longer a crime in India, as per the 'Mental Healthcare Act-2017' that legalise it. The notification comes a year after the law was passed in the Parliament.

Union Health Minister, JP Nadda while presenting this Bill in the Lok Sabha had stated that the Bill separates attempt to suicide from the Indian Penal Code ‘309’. So, now IPC provisions cannot be implored in case of an attempt to suicide. Since, the person undertakes the step in extreme mental stress, which means it’s triggered by mental illness, it should not be criminalised.

Under the law, it bans treating mentally ill children with electric shock therapy and says that even in the case of adults, such treatment must be given under anaesthesia and along with muscle relaxants.

The law also has a provision that allows people to give advance directions on the kind of treatment they would want in case they are diagnosed with a mental illness in the future.

Under the law, there'll be a check on voluntary admissions, and if admission is required, it will be for a specific period under the supervision of a trained psychiatrist.

An approx 6-7% of India’s population suffers from some kind of mental illness; in 1-2% of the population, the illness is acute.

The Government of India is believing that the law will ensure healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness “in a manner that does not intrude on their rights and dignity. ”