Madhya Pradesh High Court Orders Action Against Woman for False Accusations Against Senior Advocate of Rape

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, bench at Jabalpur (Justice Vishal Mishra), quashed a false FIR filed by a woman accusing a Senior Advocate of breaking into her house at night and raping her two-year-old daughter. The Court found that the complainant had a consistent pattern of making false accusations to blackmail various individuals, including the advocate. It noted that after investigating, police repeatedly submitted closure reports finding no evidence. The advocate had earlier issued a No Objection Certificate when she insisted on another lawyer. The High Court held that continuing prosecutions in such instances amounts to abuse of legal process. It ordered penal action under Section 22 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, and Sections 240 and 248 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against her. The decision underscores that false and frivolous allegations that damage someone’s reputation and dignity are punishable, and that laws intended for child protection cannot be misused.