Supreme Court: FIR and criminal proceedings against appellant quashed

The Supreme Court entertained the appeal of Piyush S/O Deepak Narlawar against the State of Maharashtra and held that the FIR dated 30‑06‑2023 and all subsequent criminal proceedings must be quashed. The bench reversed the order of the High Court, which had refused to dismiss the FIR that alleged dowry demands, mental cruelty and the suicide of the appellant’s wife. The decision was delivered on 2 November 2026, citing the neutral citation 2026 INSC 1183.

The appellant had been charged under Sections 304B, 323, 498A, 504 of the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act on the basis of an FIR alleging dowry demands, mental cruelty and that his wife’s death was a suicide. Investigations by Canadian authorities, including a coroner’s report and police findings, concluded that there was no foul play, and the suicide note was found to be handwritten by the deceased herself. No material evidence linked the appellant to any dowry demand or cruelty.

The principal issue was whether the High Court was justified in refusing to quash the FIR. The Supreme Court examined the evidentiary record and observed that the allegations were vague, lacking any specific proof of dowry demand or a causal link between alleged cruelty and the suicide. Consequently, the Court held that the proceedings amounted to an abuse of the process of law under Section 482 of the CrPC. The appeal was allowed, the High Court’s order set aside, and the FIR and all related proceedings were dismissed.

Read the judgment and its head note on DLJ: Piyush S/O Deepak Narlawar vs State Of Maharashtra (2026 INSC 1183).