Two siblings brought forth allegations against their parents, claiming physical abuse and restrictions on using mobile phones and watching TV.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court, Indore Bench, has recently halted the trial in this contentious case. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on the informant, with proceedings paused until further notice.
Justice Vivek Rusia, the presiding judge, mandated the fine to be deposited into the account of the President and Secretary of the High Court Employees Union. The trial court’s proceedings have been officially stayed, with Justice Rusia’s directive emphasizing the pause.
This legal battle began with the 21-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son filing a complaint in 2021 during the COVID lockdown. They accused their parents of physical abuse and strict limitations on media consumption. The parents faced arrest and charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Juvenile Justice Act, including voluntary hurt, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.
Seeking relief, the parents approached the High Court to nullify the charges against them. During the hearing, it was noted that the respondent’s counsel had not filed the necessary Vakalatnama, leading to a 15-minute delay in proceedings. This oversight resulted in the adjournment and stay of the trial court’s actions.
Advocate Madhusudan Dwivedi represented the applicants, while Public Prosecutor Mukesh Sharma appeared for the state. The siblings were represented by Shailendra Dixit.
