Overview

• A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra allowed Asian Paints to challenge the acquittal of Ram Babu and set aside the Rajasthan High Court’s order.
• The judgment interprets Section 2(wa) of the Code of Criminal Procedure to include juristic persons who suffer loss or injury as “victims.”
• Under the proviso to Section 372 CrPC, the court held that corporate victims have a direct right to appeal acquittal orders independent of state action.
• The decision empowers companies to pursue criminal remedies in intellectual property cases and strengthen enforcement against counterfeit goods.
• Legal experts describe the ruling as a foundational shift that will drive firms to bolster evidence collection and proactive litigation strategies.