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The Punjab & Haryana High Court dismissed the petition under Section 528 of the BNS Act, holding that a civil property dispute cannot be criminalised and must be pursued in a civil forum. This limits the use of Section 528 to genuine criminal matters, affecting parties seeking FIRs over ownership conflicts.
The Kerala High Court has ruled that criminal courts retain the authority to prosecute wrongful withholding of company property under Section 452 of the Companies Act, 2013, rejecting the argument that adjudication is exclusively vested in the Adjudicating Officer post-2020 amendments. This reaffirms the criminal liability of former employees who retain company assets, ensuring that civil disputes do not shield criminal misconduct from prosecution.
Bombay High Court rules that deliberate nudity in the presence of a woman, with intent to be seen, meets the threshold of 'insult to modesty' under Section 509 IPC. The court refused to quash the FIR, emphasizing that pre-trial mini-trials are impermissible, leaving the matter for trial adjudication.
The Telangana High Court quashed an FIR against a petitioner for merely forwarding social media content, ruling that multiple FIRs for the same incident amount to abuse of process. The court held that absent intent to incite enmity or caste-based insult, such acts do not attract liability under BNS or the SC/ST (POA) Act, reinforcing protections against misuse of criminal law for political vendettas.
Madhya Pradesh High Court holds that writ appeals cannot be filed against orders passed under Article 226 when the relief sought is akin to Section 482 CrPC quashing of criminal proceedings.
Bombay High Court holds that Special Courts cannot dismiss Atrocities Act cases without examining prima facie applicability; must record factual findings before declining jurisdiction.