Disposed¶30

S.Balaji v. The State of Tamilnadu rep.by

Madras HC17 Mar 2026CRL OP/6793/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Anti-harassment direction; police enquiry; due process; no coercive action except in accordance with law; Section 528 BNSS; CRL OP; Madras High Court; Coimbatore City police; B-3 Variety Hall Road Police Station; gold necklace dispute Rs.12,46,980; petitioner directed to appear for enquiry on 23.03.2026; disposed with directions.

What did the court decide?

Criminal Original Petition disposed of with directions: (i) petitioner to appear before the respondent police on 23.03.2026 for enquiry; (ii) respondents police not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry and to follow due process of law; (iii) respondents police not to resort to any coercive action against the petitioner except in accordance with law. ¶30

S.Balaji Vs The State of Tamilnadu rep.by — Madras HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶30

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents/police should be directed not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry into a civil dispute and to follow due process of law. +1 more

¶20

Court's answer

The respondent police are bound to conduct the enquiry strictly in accordance with law.

¶29

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner cannot evade enquiry.

¶25

Key takeaways

Direction (i): the petitioner shall appear before the respondent police on 23.03.2026 for enquiry.ratio¶32
Direction (ii): the respondents police shall not harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry and shall follow due process of law.ratio¶33
Direction (iii): the respondents police shall not resort to any coercive action against the petitioner except in accordance with law.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Judicature at Madras (M. Nirmal Kumar, J.), CRL OP No. 6793 of 2026, decided 17-03-2026: Criminal Original Petition under Section 528 of B.N.S.S. by S.Balaji seeking directions to the Coimbatore police not to harass him under the guise of enquiry into a civil dispute with one Sona, concerning gold allegedly received valued at approximately Rs.12,46,980/- for making a necklace and neither returned nor paid for. Held: the petitioner cannot evade enquiry, but the respondent police are bound to conduct the enquiry strictly in accordance with law. Petition disposed of with directions: (i) petitioner to appear before the respondent police on 23.03.2026 for enquiry; (ii) police not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry and to follow due process of law; (iii) police not to resort to any coercive action against the petitioner except in accordance with law.

¶1

CRL OP No. 6793 of 2026

¶2

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

¶3

DATED: 17-03-2026

¶4

CORAM

¶5

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M. NIRMAL KUMAR

¶6

CRL OP No. 6793 of 2026

¶7

S.Balaji S/o.Selvaraj, No.831, Sullivan Street, Coimbatore-641 001.

¶8

..Petitioner(s)

¶9

¶10

The State of Tamilnadu rep.by, The Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore City, Coimbatore.

¶11

The Inspector of Police, B-3 Variety Hall Road Police Station, Coimbatore City.

¶12

..Respondent(s)

¶13

Criminal Original Petition is field under Section 528 of B.N.S.S., to issue appropriate directions to the respondents, particularly the second respondent, not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry in respect of the civil dispute with one Sona and direct the respondents to follow due process of law in accordance with the provisions of law.

¶14

For Petitioner(s): Mr.M.Balaji

¶15

For Respondent(s): Mr.Leonard Arul Joseph Selvam, Additional Public Prosecutor

¶16

__________ Page1 of 4

¶17

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶18

CRL OP No. 6793 of 2026

¶19

ORDER

¶20

The present Criminal Original Petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry.

¶21

The case of the prosecution is that the petitioner has received gold from the complainant valued at approximately Rs.12,46,980/- for the purpose of making a necklace and has neither returned the said gold nor paid its value. Hence the case.

¶22

3 . The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the alleged transaction pertains to the year 2014 and that a false complaint has now been lodged against the petitioner with an ulterior motive.

¶23