No offence established under IPC Section 509 or Kerala Police Act Section 119(b) due to lack of evidence for defamation or invasion of privacy.

O R D E R

This Criminal Miscellaneous Case is filed to quash the proceedings in CC No.526/2018 on the file of Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II, Aluva. It is a prosecution initiated against the petitioner alleging offence punishable under Section 509 IPC and Section

119(b) of Kerala Police Act, 2011 .

2. The prosecution case is that, the petitioner with the intention of defaming and causing mental agony to the defacto complainant during February 2016, took the photograph of the defacto complainant at Kandamkulath Ayurveda Hospital, Elamakkara without the permission of the defacto complainant and thereby committed the aforesaid offences. According to the petitioner, even if the entire allegations are accepted, no offence is made out against him and therefore, continuation of Annexure-A1 final report is an abuse of process of court.

3. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor. I also heard the counsel appearing for the Addl. 3^rd respondent.

4. This Court perused Annexure-A1 final report.

It will be better to extract the relevant portion of Annexure-A1 final report:

"്ᩚതി്ᨪ് ഒ്ᩐാം സാ്ᩌി്ᨪ് മാനഹാനിയും മനനാവിഷമവും ഉ്ᩂാ്ᨪണമെമᩐ᪎്ᩦ ഉന(cid:28)ശന(cid:30)ാടും കരുതന"ാടും കൂടി 2016 മെ)ᩜ᪎വരി മാസം ഇട്ᩔ്ᩦി സൗ(cid:30)് വിന/ജ് എളമ്ᨪരയിൽ മെത്ᨪ് വട്ᨪായി കിടᨪ᪎്ᩐ ന6ശാഭിമാനി - പു്ᩐ്ᨪൽ ന:ാഡിമെ< പടി്ᨼാ:് വശം മെകാ്ᨴിൻ നകാർപന:ഷനിൽ നിᩐ᪎ം 33/773 എ്ᩐ് ന്ᩘർ ഇ്ᨾിᨾ᪎്ᩦ മെക്ᨾിട(cid:30)ിൽ ്ᩚവർ(cid:30)ിᨪ᪎്ᩐ ക്ᩂംകുള(cid:30)് ആയുർനവ6 ആശുപ്ᩔിയുമെട ചുᩢ᪎മതി"ിമെ< വട്ᨪ്

പടി്ᨼാമെ: മൂ"യിൽ നിᩐ᪎ം 2.55 മീ്ᩢർ മെത്ᨪ് കിഴ്ᨪ് മാ:ി കാണു്ᩐ ഭാഗം നകാൺ്ᩅീ്ᩢ് ത:യിൽ നി്ᩐിരു്ᩐ 1-)0 സാ്ᩌിയുമെട ന)ാന്ᨾാ എടുᩈ᪎ം ആയത് ്ᩚചരി്ᩔിᨪ᪎ം എ്ᩐ് പ:ᨼ᪎ം 1-)0 സാ്ᩌി്ᨪ് മാനഹാനിയും മനനാവിഷമവും ഉ്ᩂാ്ᨪിയും ്ᩚതി നമൽ വകു്ᩔ് ്ᩚകാരം ശി്ᩌി്ᨪത്ᨪ കു്ᩢം

മെച്ᩓിരിᨪ᪎ᩐ᪎ എ്ᩐ്"

5. The first offence alleged against the petitioner is under Section 509 of IPC . It will be better to extract :

509. Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.—Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and also with fine.

6. To attract the offence under Section 509 IPC , the prosecution has to produce materials to show that words, gestures or acts are there from the accused to insult the modesty of a woman. Absolutely no, and even if the entire allegations in the final report are accepted, I am of the considered opinion that no offence under is made out against the petitioner.

7. The other offence alleged is under Section 119 (b) of the Kerala Police Act. (b) says that, if any person who takes photographs or records videos or propagates them at any place in a manner affecting the reasonable privacy of women, shall be punishable as stated in the Section. In this case, even if the entire allegations are accepted, there is no case to the prosecution that photo taken is propagated at any place. I am of the considered opinion that, even if the allegations are accepted, the offence under Section

119(b) of the Kerala Police Act is also not attracted because there is no materials produced by the prosecution to show that the petitioner propagated the photographs of the defacto complainant in a manner affecting the reasonable privacy of her. Therefore, I am of the considered opinion that the continuation of prosecution against the petitioner is not necessary. Therefore, this criminal miscellaneous case is allowed. All further proceedings against the petitioner in C.C.No.526/2018 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II, Aluva, arising from Crime No.308/2018 of Elamakkara Police Station, are quashed.