Supreme Court Quashes FIR Against Widow and Daughter in Telangana Land Dispute

The Supreme Court has quashed an FIR filed against a 70-year-old widow and her daughter over a land dispute in Telangana, and fined the complainant Rs 10 lakh for misusing the judicial system. The decision comes after Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta condemned the Telangana High Court's handling of the case as perfunctory and laconic.

The dispute, centered around an oral agreement to sell land in Gachibowli, Telangana, was escalated to a criminal case by the complainant, Srujan Sen. Despite significant payments transferred via banking channels, tensions arose over alleged cash payments and threats by the accused. The Supreme Court found the arrest of the elderly widow, Mala Choudhary, unjustified.

Condemning the manipulation of facts and misuse of police resources, the apex court has ordered the complainant to compensate the appellants and emphasized the civil nature of the matter. Adequate police protection has been mandated for the duo during visits to Telangana, underscoring the need for fair adjudication.

(With inputs from agencies.)