Abdul Jaleel K. v. State of Kerala
In the High Court of Kerala
Crl. M.C. 2597/2023
Before Justice K. Babu
Decided on June 05, 2023

Relevancy of the case: Quashing of FIR in a case involving violation of privacy after the settlement between the parties

Statutes and Provisions Involved

• The Information Technology Act, 2000 (Section 66E, 67, 67A)
• The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Sections 354, 506)

Relevant Facts of the Case

• The applicant violated the complainant’s modesty and breached her privacy.
• The complainant then filed an FIR against the applicant. However, the parties have now entered into a settlement.

Prominent Arguments by the Advocates

• The public prosecutor submitted that the police investigated after filing the FIR. They found that the parties had amicably settled the matter. Moreover, the complainant herself decided not to proceed further.

Opinion of the Bench

• The settlement between the parties is amicable and satisfies the court’s conscience.
• The complainant decided not to proceed with the case of her own free will.
• Through various case laws, like Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and Narendra Singh v. State of Punjab, the court held that if the FIR were quashed, this case would not harm the public interest.

Final Decision

• The court accepted the petition and quashed the FIR and any proceedings arising from it.

Aarya Tyagi, an undergraduate student at the Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahemadabad, prepared this case summary during his internship with The Cyber Blog India in May/June 2024.