Abetment of suicide: When words and actions become a criminal offence. The recent death by suicide of a second-year IIT-Bombay student brought into sharp focus one of the most legally complex and emotionally charged areas of criminal law: abetment of suicide. At its core, the offence requires a trial court to ascertain whether a person’s words, actions, neglect or dereliction directly instigated and caused another individual to take their own life.