In Brief
The appellants were prosecuted for house-breaking, criminal intimidation and theft following an alleged looting of a shop. The complainant (tenant) claimed tenancy under a 2005 memorandum bearing the Indian National Rupee symbol (₹), which did not exist until 2010—exposing the document as forged. A civil court had already found prima facie forgery and directed criminal proceedings against the complainant. The police dropped substantive larceny and housebreaking charges. The Supreme Court held that where a complainant's legal standing rests entirely on a forged document, and evidence shows no grave suspicion of the accused's guilt, criminal prosecution amounts to abuse of process. The Court discharged the appellants, holding that liberty must be protected against vexatious prosecutions lacking sufficient material to proceed to trial.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.