Karnataka High Court Refuses To Quash Case Against Man Accused Of Creating Fake Accounts To Defame Sister-In-Law

Last Updated:November 13, 2025, 16:49 IST

The woman alleged that her brother-in-law had used multiple online platforms to impersonate her and publish content that portrayed her in a degrading light

The case originated from a private complaint filed by Vaishnavi before the I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka High Court recently refused to quash a criminal case filed against a Bengaluru resident accused of creating fake social media accounts in his sister-in-law’s name and circulating humiliating content about her.

Justice MI Arun, hearing the matter on October 30, 2025, held that he did not find any error in the trial court’s conclusion that prima facie there was enough material on record to frame charges against the man under Sections 499 & 500 of IPC, Section 66 (c), 66(d) and 67(A) of Information Technology Act.

The case originated from a private complaint filed by Vaishnavi before the I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bengaluru. She alleged that her brother-in-law, Pramod Shivashankar, had used multiple online platforms to impersonate her and publish content that portrayed her in a degrading light. According to her, one of the fake accounts described her as a “call girl", while others carried crude and insulting remarks aimed at her and her immediate family. She claimed these acts were part of a pattern of harassment that arose after tensions developed within the extended family.

Following her sworn statement and supporting material, the Magistrate took cognizance of offences under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with defamation, along with Sections 66C, 66D and 67A of the Information Technology Act, which relate to identity theft, cheating by impersonation using digital resources and transmission of obscene content online. The Magistrate found that the accusations, on their face, warranted a trial and accordingly framed charges.

Pramod challenged this decision before the High Court under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a provision often invoked to request courts to prevent misuse of criminal proceedings. He denied any involvement in creating the accounts and argued that the contents of the complaint, even if accepted as true, did not legally constitute the offences cited. He contended that the proceedings amounted to an abuse of process and sought their termination at the threshold.

The High Court, however, took a different view. Justice Arun observed that the material placed before the Magistrate, particularly the allegation of an account falsely created in the complainant’s name and containing indecent descriptions, prima facie suggested conduct attracting criminal liability. The court noted that impersonating a person online without their consent falls squarely within the definition of identity theft under Section 66C of the IT Act. The question of whether the accused actually operated the accounts, the judge added, was a matter for evidence and trial, not for adjudication in proceedings seeking quashing.

The court further recorded that posts allegedly accessible to the general public, portraying the complainant in a sexually demeaning manner, could reasonably be interpreted as defamatory.

Finding no procedural irregularity in the Magistrate’s decision to frame charges and no legal basis to halt the prosecution, the High Court dismissed Pramod’s petition.

Salil Tiwari

Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr...Read More

Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr...

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