A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to allow victims of false criminal cases to file complaints against those making fabricated allegations. The petition urges the Court to interpret BNSS provisions so innocent people can legally act against false information, charges, and evidence.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions that would allow victims of false criminal cases to file complaints against those who allegedly misuse the law. The plea comes in the wake of a tragic incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, where three members of a family allegedly died by suicide after being threatened with false implication under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The petition has been filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay. It urges the Supreme Court to clarify and interpret certain provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in a way that protects innocent citizens who face false allegations. According to the plea, the current interpretation of Sections 215 and 379 of the BNSS prevents victims of false complaints from initiating legal action against those who file such cases.
The plea specifically seeks directions for “purposive and harmonious interpretation” of sections 215 and 379 of the BNSS, claiming that innocent citizens are committing suicide due to false cases.
Section 215 of the BNSS deals with prosecution for contempt of the lawful authority of public servants, offences against public justice, and offences related to documents presented as evidence in court proceedings. The petition argues that the current legal framework makes it difficult for victims of fabricated complaints to pursue action against those responsible.
The PIL refers to a March 11 incident in Chauferava village of Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh. According to reports cited in the petition, a woman, her son and her brother-in-law allegedly ended their lives after facing threats of being falsely implicated in a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The petition also mentions that a suicide note was recovered after the incident.
“A suicide note, reportedly written by the son, suggested the family took the extreme step due to threats of being falsely implicated under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act over a financial transaction,”
the plea said.
Highlighting broader concerns about misuse of legal provisions, the plea also referred to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). According to the petition, existing records do not adequately capture cases involving false information or fabricated evidence.
The petition states that
“A literal interpretation of sections 215 and 379 bars the aggrieved person/victim to file complaint against false information, cases, certificate, statement and evidence.”
It further argued that such an interpretation leads to large numbers of allegedly false cases being registered, putting pressure on police and courts while leaving the accused without a direct remedy.
“Therefore, police stations are flooded with false cases, and the courts are overburdened with false information, cases, certificate, statement and evidence. As a result, the aggrieved person bears reputational harm, prolonged litigation, and financial and mental hardship arising from the false accusation, while being denied the opportunity to act as the complainant,”
the petition said.
The PIL also pointed to the gap between the number of criminal cases registered and the number of convictions secured in courts. It argued that the low conviction rate reflects a larger issue in the system and may indicate the filing of weak or false cases.
According to the petitioner, the main reason for this issue is the strict and literal interpretation of the relevant provisions under the BNSS.
The plea has therefore asked the Supreme Court to clarify the law so that victims of false accusations can take action against those responsible. It specifically urged the Court to “Direct and declare that the court may issue a certificate to the aggrieved person under sections 215 and 379 to allow him to become complainant and proceed against the false cases, charges, information and evidence…
“Direct the NCRB to publish data on false cases, charges, information, certificate, statement and evidencе,”
the plea said.
Through this petition, the petitioner has requested the Supreme Court to provide legal clarity and ensure that individuals falsely accused in criminal cases have an effective remedy under the law while also improving transparency in data related to false complaints and fabricated evidence.
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