The High Court has quashed a 2019 criminal case stemming from a neighbourhood brawl over a WhatsApp message after both families agreed to bury the hatchet. However, noting that a petty feud had needlessly engaged the police and judicial machinery for over seven years, the court directed both sides to pay exemplary costs totalling ₹2 lakh to a local charitable trust.
The case traces back to April 20, 2019, when a misunderstanding over a WhatsApp chat escalated into an altercation between the neighbours in Anjuna. Following the clash, Anjuna Police registered cross- FIRs for unlawful assembly, rioting, assault, and mischief. Police subsequently filed a chargesheet in July 2019, leading to trial proceedings before the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa.
Appearing for the petitioners, Advocate Rohan Desai, alongside Advocate Nigel Fernandes for the complainant informed the court that both families had reached an amicable resolution with the help of relatives and friends. The complainant, who was present in court, submitted an affidavit confirming that the conflict arose from an "unfortunate misunderstanding" and affirmed that she had no surviving grievances, nor did she wish to support the prosecution.
Prosecution also did not oppose quashing the proceedings in light of the settlement, but insisted that exemplary costs be slapped on both parties for dragging a trivial dispute to the police station.
Accepting the settlement and citing Supreme Court precedents on quashing non-heinous private disputes, the High Court observed that continuing the criminal proceedings would serve no useful purpose.
The court quashed FIRs along with the resulting chargesheet and closed the trial court proceedings, making the relief conditional on cost payments. The court directed the petitioners to jointly pay ₹1,00,000 and the complainant to pay ₹1,00,000 to the Matruchayya Trust in Ponda within four weeks, with compliance affidavits to be submitted before the court registry by December 7, 2026.
