Overview

• A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran dismissed the Karnataka government’s appeal against the high court order quashing the FIR.
• The Supreme Court imposed a Rs 25 lakh cost on the state for bringing the challenge to the top court.
• Justices warned against using courts for political battles and urged officials to contest disputes before the electorate.
• The FIR was registered suo motu under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after Surya’s November 7 post falsely linked a farmer’s suicide to Waqf Board land claims.
• In December, the Karnataka High Court held that the legal elements of the offence were not made out and that continuing proceedings would amount to an abuse of process.