#criminal abuse of process

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has held that registering an FIR under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 IPC for a forged caste certificate violates due process unless preceded by mandatory verification under the Madhuri Patil committee framework. This ruling protects vulnerable applicants from punitive criminal action based on unverified administrative claims and reinforces that state machinery must exhaust civil scrutiny before invoking criminal law.

Bombay High Court reinforces that civil recovery disputes cannot be converted into criminal proceedings without concrete evidence of fraud. The ruling protects financial institutions and officials from malicious prosecution based on unverified allegations, setting a precedent for FIR quashing under BNSS.

Bombay HC quashed criminal proceedings under IPC Sections 406/420 where the loan was repaid and a No Due Certificate was issued, holding that mere civil disputes cannot be criminalized without proof of dishonest intent. The ruling reinforces safeguards against misuse of criminal law for debt recovery.

The Bombay High Court has held that invoking the SC/ST Act requires proof of caste-based insult or humiliation-mere verbal abuse, even if vulgar, cannot sustain charges under Section 3(1)(x) without evidence of discriminatory intent. This ruling reinforces that the Act is not a general anti-abuse statute and shields individuals from its misuse in personal disputes, setting a critical boundary for law enforcement and prosecutors.