The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR against a shopkeeper accused of making insulting remarks against the Prime Minister when questioned about barricades outside his shop, holding that the offence of intentional insult to provoke breach of peace under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita requires an insult directed at the complainant, not a third party. With no such ingredient made out, and an unexplained delay in the complaint, continuing the prosecution would be an abuse of process.
