High Court quashes obscenity case over protest remark in Singrauli
Police filed an obscenity and insult case over remarks made during a 2021 inflation protest near the Collectorate. The High Court held the words were not obscene and quashed the FIR, chargesheet and trial.
This page records what the cited court records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →The FIR, chargesheet and criminal proceedings stand quashed.
What happened
The High Court recorded that on 23.07.2021 a protest rally was organised by the Indian National Congress over rising inflation, and it was alleged that when a memorandum was being submitted near the Collectorate, the petitioner used improper language against the district administration.
Police said an FIR was lodged by a Patwari on the directions of the Sub-Divisional Officer, and after investigation a chargesheet adding Section 504 IPC was filed, with the case pending before the Judicial Magistrate, Singrauli.
The High Court recorded that no independent public witness was cited despite a public-place gathering, and the complainant was a revenue staffer acting on directions.
The High Court held that colloquial derogatory words such as 'nalayak' are not automatically obscene under Section 294 IPC and that criticism of administration during protest without deliberate provocation is not intentional insult under Section 504 IPC, and quashed the FIR, chargesheet and proceedings.
What the record says
“It is a matter of common experience that expressions such as “nalayak” and similar colloquial words are widely used in everyday speech across the country and, depending upon the context, may not necessarily carry the intention to humiliate or abuse a particular individual. Criminal liability cannot be fastened merely on the basis of such expressions unless the statutory ingredients of the offence are clearly established.”
MCRC No. 55648 of 2024, Madhya Pradesh High Court order, para 7 (case title redacted for privacy) — read the full text
No complaining victim
The only alleged wrong was uttering harsh words at a political protest. The court found no obscene act, no annoyance to the public and no incitement to breach of peace, so no complaining victim.
What we could not confirm
Crime/RCT numbers, PS Waidhan, chargesheet date 19.08.2021, Section 528 BNSS and order date 05.03.2026 appear only in the court-order PDF which returned only metadata (9 pages, HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH JABALPUR) in text extraction; verified facts are limited to LiveLaw report dated 10.03.2026 confirming July 23 2021 INC inflation rally near Collectorate, Patwari complaint on SDO directions, no outside witness, Sections 294/504 IPC, Justice Himanshu Joshi, and quashing of FIR/chargesheet before Singrauli magistrate. Case title redacted for privacy.