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Accordingly, the Gujarat High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application, directing the trial court to proceed with the investigation and to ensure that the accused remain available for questioning. The order makes clear that any attempt to recover a loan by threatening to compel a debtor’s female relative into prostitution will be treated as abetment of suicide and will not be shielded by anticipatory bail.

The decision underscores the judiciary’s approach to offences that intertwine economic coercion with sexual exploitation and violence against women. It signals that courts will scrutinise the underlying intent behind threats made in the context of debt recovery and will not permit such conduct to be minimised as a private commercial matter. The ruling also reinforces the protective scope of Section 306 IPC, extending its applicability to situations where the psychological pressure exerted on a debtor, through threats against family honour, is sufficient to provoke suicidal intent.

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