Under Section 226 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, an attempt to commit suicide is punishable as…

Under Section 226 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (replacing the broader approach of former Section 309 IPC, which had been struck down in P. Rathinam v. Union of India and later restored in Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab), a general attempt to commit suicide is no longer criminalised in view of the presumption of severe stress under Section 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Instead, Section 226 specifically punishes whoever attempts to commit suicide with the intent to compel or restrain any public servant from discharging his official duty, prescribing simple imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both, or community service. The other options do not state the statutory ingredient of Section 226.