For filing false FIR, Rs. 1 Lakh Cost Imposed on the Complainant by Punjab and Haryana High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently made a judgment on the increasing trend of misusing the legal system by filing false FIRs to satisfy one’s ego. Such false FIRs lead to the wastage of taxpayer money. The Court has ordered the complainant, who slapped the petitioner in a public place, filed a false FIR to gratify her ego, and then resolved the matter through a compromise, to pay a significant amount of Rs. 1,00,000 as a penalty within one month.

The petitioner filed a petition to quash an FIR that was registered for outraging the modesty of a woman and other offenses under Sections 323 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code. The petitioner also requested the quashing of all consequential proceedings based on a compromise.

The court referred to a report by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, which stated that the compromise was voluntary. Upon examining the FIR, the court noted that the two parties had amicably settled the dispute and continuing with the criminal prosecution would be pointless since the chances of obtaining a conviction were minimal.

Justice Alok Jain has observed that it has become a common practice to misuse the legal process by filing false FIRs just to satisfy one’s ego, as in the present case. He has emphasized that appropriate legal action should be taken against such complainants under the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and other related provisions to prevent the registration of false, frivolous, and manipulated FIRs. Such actions result in the wastage of time and resources of the state machinery, ultimately leading to a loss of taxpayer money. The judge has noted that it is essential to deter such actions to ensure the proper functioning of the legal system.

Source: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/punjab-haryana-high-court-abuse-of-process-of-law-fictitious-fir-wastage-of-taxpayer-money-hefty-cost-on-complainant-223936