Makhan Goyal v. State of Punjab
In the High Court of Punjab & Haryana
CRM-M 47402/2023 (O&M)
Before Justice Harpreet Singh Brar
Decided on December 18, 2023

Relevancy of the case: Quashing FIR after the settlement between parties in a case involving creating and circulating a video on WhatsApp to insult the complainant

Statutes and Provisions Involved

• The Information Technology Act, 2000 (Sections 66F, 84B)
• The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Sections 420, 506, 511, 120B)

Relevant Facts of the Case

• The complainant and the petitioner were rivals because the petitioner won the elections for the presidential post of the car dealers association.
• The petitioner then made a video and circulated it on WhatsApp to insult and intimidate the complainant.
• The complainant filed an FIR against the applicant. The petitioner is also accused of blackmailing and cheating his customers.

Prominent Arguments by the Advocates

• The respondent’s counsel submitted that the petitioner and the respondent have settled the matter amicably. He further contended that the state has no objections to quashing the FIR.

Opinion of the Bench

• The compromise is without coercion or pressure from either of the parties.
• Resolving the matter peacefully and amicably ensures societal tranquillity.

Final Decision

• The court allowed the petition and quashed the FIR against the petitioner.

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