Justice Soni Shrivastava of the Patna High Court has quashed a Magistrate’s 2022 cognizance order and the entire prosecution of two members of the Jhunjhunwala family under Sections 448, 341, 323 and 506 of the IPC, holding that the FIR was vague, belated, attended with mala fide and lodged amid a dispute over ancestral property.
The Kerala High Court has held that a police station is a building used for the custody of property and therefore falls within the definition of “house” under Section 442 of the IPC. The Court ruled that trespass into a police station can attract house trespass charges, though it cannot be treated as a residence or place of worship.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea on March 18 seeking to bar candidates facing serious criminal charges from contesting elections. The petition aims to strengthen electoral integrity by preventing individuals accused of grave offenses from entering public office. The case raises concerns about criminalization in politics and its impact on governance.
