Supreme Court Tells Woman IPS Officer to Issue Public Apology for False Cases

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed a woman IPS officer to issue an unconditional public apology to her estranged husband and his family for the hardship caused by multiple false criminal cases filed against them during their marital dispute. 

Marriage Ended, Custody Given to Mother

A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih dissolved the marriage while finalising a settlement between the couple, who have been living apart since 2018. 

All ongoing cases between the two sides have been cancelled as part of the settlement. The court granted the mother custody of their daughter, allowing the father and his family visitation rights.

Apology to Be Published in Papers and Online

The court noted that the husband had spent 109 days in jail and his father 103 days due to the cases filed by the officer. Stating that the suffering faced by them could not be compensated, the bench directed that the apology be published in the national editions of a prominent English and a Hindi newspaper.

The officer has also been asked to post the apology on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube within three days. However, the court clarified that this apology will not be treated as an admission of guilt and cannot be used against the officer in future legal or administrative matters.

The officer has been instructed not to misuse her official position against her former husband and his family, while the husband has been told not to misuse the apology.

In a related order, the Supreme Court upheld the Allahabad High Court's 2022 guidelines that bar immediate arrests under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code in dowry harassment cases. 

The guidelines require a two-month period for preliminary inquiry and intervention by a family welfare committee before making any arrest. The court also highlighted concerns over the misuse of Section 498A and its corresponding Section 85 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, stressing the need for safeguards to protect all parties.

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