In Brief
A real estate joint venture agreement dispute was criminalized when the developer sued land owners for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery. The Supreme Court quashed the FIR, holding that the dispute was purely civil. The owners had given land in a 50-50 venture; the developer contributed funds. When the project failed, the developer sued claiming false representation about land title and withheld litigation. The Court found no dishonest intent at contract inception, no false statements in the agreement about litigation, and that security money was adjustable, not refundable. Criminal law cannot enforce contractual breaches; disputed performance belongs in civil courts. The ruling protects against weaponizing criminal law in commercial disputes.
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