Bengaluru, 10 June

The Karnataka High Court has quashed a criminal case involving a Bengaluru man, Sri Taha Husain, accused of "kidnapping" his neighbour's cat, Daisy. Justice M Nagaprasanna expressed disbelief at the police's decision to pursue the complaint, stating that the situation surrounding Daisy had seemingly driven the judicial system to distraction.

The case originated in 2022 when neighbour Nikitha Anjana Iyer reported Husain for allegedly confining her pet cat. Initially, the police invoked sections of the Indian Penal Code related to animal mischief, but later reduced the charges to include sections concerning criminal intimidation and insulting behaviour. The court, however, found that the complaint lacked sufficient grounds for any offences.

Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the police investigation was misguided, highlighting that their actions, including recording neighbour statements and reviewing CCTV footage, yielded no evidence of wrongdoing. The court denounced the police's reliance on allegations in the charge sheet that were not present in the original complaint.

The judge stated, “The Police ought not to have entertained the complaint, which did not indicate any cognizable offence at the outset." He further described the prosecution as a misuse of criminal law, warning against allowing trivial disputes to burden the justice system.

In closing, the court quashed the complaint and gave Husain the option to pursue a case for malicious prosecution against Iyer, while admonishing the police for their "whimsical pursuit of justice." The case serves as a reminder of the seriousness of legal processes.