Supreme Court Quashes FIR in Civil Dispute: No Cheating Without Criminal Intent
The Supreme Court quashed an FIR alleging offences under Sections 60(b), 316(2), and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, holding that the dispute was purely civil in nature. The Court reiterated that criminal proceedings cannot be used to enforce monetary claims and emphasized that cheating requires dishonest intent from inception. Criticizing the High Court's mediation order directing upfront payment, the SC ruled that such disputes must be resolved through civil remedies, not criminal prosecution. The judgment reaffirmed the principles laid down in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal and Delhi Race Club (1940) Ltd. v. State of Uttar Pradesh to prevent abuse of criminal law in commercial disputes.
Facts Of The Case:
The case involves a criminal appeal filed by Shatlesh Kumar Singh, ...