Karnataka High Court Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Man Accused Of Keeping Cat 'Hostage' In His House

A single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna expressed wonder that the police was following a frivolous case rather than pursuing real and serious crimes while staying the criminal proceedings in the case against the man accused by a woman of keeping her cat "hostage" inside his house.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): In an interesting court case, the Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed the criminal proceedings against a man against whom a FIR has been lodged for allegedly keeping a cat hostage for causing trouble.

The single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard the petition filed by the accused Taha Hussain to quash the case, gave interim relief to the petitioner.

“There shall be an interim order of stay of the further proceedings in C.C.No.13477/2022, till the disposal of the petition,” the court observed.

The relief to the man came following a FIR under Sections 504, 506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code-1860 for threatening life, breach of peace and endangering the dignity of the complainant woman Nikita Anjana Iyer (41), a resident of Second Cross, Siraj Layout, Anekal Shikaripalya. Iyer, in her complaint filed at the Hebbagodi Police Station, alleged that Hussain has kept her cat 'Daisy' as a hostage in his house as seen in the CCTV footage.

But the counsel for the petitioner, while contending the allegations submitted that cats will get in and go out from the windows while opposing to criminal proceedings into such a frivolous complaints.

The counsel argued that it is a natural process for cats to come and go inside the house through the window. Allowing further proceedings under such a frivolous charge would obstruct the criminal justice system and therefore, further judicial proceedings of the case registered against the petitioner should be stayed, the petitioner's counsel said.

The bench in the oral remarks questioned police investigation into such a frivolous case instead of investigating real crimes.

Accordingly, the bench ordered stay of the 4th Additional Civil and JMFC court's further proceedings in the case. Also, a notice has been issued to the government regarding the application.

The 4th Additional Civil and JMFC Court of Anakal took cognizance of the case on 2 September 2022. Later the petitioner challenged this in the High Court.