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Court: Criminal law not for civil claims, quashes FIR
26 Jul
Summary
- Criminal law cannot be used as a weapon in civil claims.
- High court quashed proceedings against an elderly woman and her daughter.
- Dispute over inheritance rights was wrongly filed as a criminal case.
The Karnataka High Court has emphatically stated that criminal law cannot be wielded as a tool for civil claims or as leverage in disputes. This principle was applied as Justice M. Nagaprasanna quashed criminal proceedings initiated against a 73-year-old woman and her elder daughter.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the younger daughter, who alleged that her mother had sold property without her consent, despite her purported one-third share. The court observed that if the complainant believed she had a rightful claim to the property, she should pursue her remedy through the civil court system.
Justice Nagaprasanna highlighted that the core of the matter was an inheritance dispute, which had been inappropriately framed as a criminal offense. The judge stressed that the criminal process should not serve as a substitute for civil remedies or as a means to exert pressure on individuals.
