IPC 467 - The Legal Chamber

The Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, and 471 IPC, ruling the allegations did not prima facie constitute the alleged offences. Relying on Bhajan Lal, it held that criminal process cannot be used to settle civil disputes, as it amounts to an abuse of the court's process. Facts Of The Case: A testator, Shri Ram Baksh Dubey, executed an unregistered will in 1993 bequeathing his property to his four daughters-in-law, apprehensive that his third son, Ashish Kumar, would squander the estate. After the testator’s death in 1994, Ashish Kumar sold his purported share to the complainant, Balram, via a registered sale deed. The daughters-in-law, unaware of this sale, successfully obtained a mutation order in their favor based on the will. When Balram inte...

The Supreme Court ruled that Section 195 CrPC does not bar prosecution for tampering with court records after proceedings conclude, as such acts no longer affect "proceedings in court" under Section 195(1)(b). It held that fabricating documents in record rooms post-withdrawal constitutes standalone offences under IPC, not requiring court-sanctioned complaints. The judgment clarified that Section 195 applies only when offences directly impact live judicial proceedings or documents in active court custody, distinguishing between administrative record-keeping and judicial administration of justice. The Court affirmed that FIRs remain valid for post-proceeding forgeries. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from a 2005 FIR lodged by the Registrar of Bharuch District Court against Parshotta...

Tag: IPC 467

Supreme Court Shields Daughters-in-Law from Criminal Case Over Property Will

Supreme Court Clarifies Section 195 CrPC Doesn’t Protect Post-Proceeding Forgery”: Courts Records Safety