The Supreme Court on Monday (August 18, 2025) did not intervene in the quashing of a suicide abetment case in connection with the death of Member of Parliament Mohan Delkar.

The Bombay High Court had quashed the case registered against nine persons accused in the case, including Praful Khoda Patel, the Administrator of the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.

A Bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran affirmed the High Court order of September 2022.

A Division Bench of the High Court had quashed the case on petitions filed by the administrator Praful Khoda Patel, former District Collector Sandeep Singh, former Superintendent of Police Sharad Darade, then Deputy Collector Apurva Sharma, Manasvi Jain (Sub-Divisional Officer), Manoj Patel (Police Inspector, Silvassa), Rohit Yadav (official of Dadra Haveli administration), Dilip Patel (a revenue official in Silvassa) and Fattesingh (political leader), to quash the FIR against them.

On February 22, 2021, Delkar, 58, a seven-term parliamentarian, was found dead in a hotel room in Marine Drive. An FIR was registered on March 9, 2021 by the Marine Drive police station under section 306 (abetment to suicide), 506 (criminal intimidation), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation of offence in order to commit extortion) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code and under provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The High Court had quashed the FIR, saying it was “a fit case for the court to quash the case to prevent abuse of law”

Suicide prevention helpline: Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health. Telephone: 011-4076 9002, Monday-Saturday.

(Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)