FACTS
In Emperor v. Mohit Kumar Mukerjee (1871), a group of people pressured and encouraged a woman to commit sati—the act of self-immolation by a widow on her husband’s pyre. They followed her to the fire while persistently chanting “Ram Ram,” urging her to carry out the act.
ISSUE
Whether the group’s actions amounted to abetment in the woman’s act of committing sati.
LAW INVOLVED
The case revolves around the concept of abetment under criminal law, which involves instigating, aiding, or encouraging another to commit an offence.
JUDGMENT
The Calcutta High Court held that all individuals who followed the woman and chanted “Ram Ram,” thereby encouraging her to commit sati, were guilty of abetment. Their collective actions amounted to instigation, making them criminally liable.
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