High Court refuses to quash stalking, outraging modesty case against Pune man

Key Highlights

• Days before her wedding in 2018, the man allegedly went to her house with poison and threatened suicide, after which her relatives took him to the police, where he apologised.
• She claimed that his resentment continued and that, in 2019, he posted four defamatory social media posts targeting her.
• The woman told the court that the accused was stalking her by uploading defamatory and objectionable material, causing disturbance in her marital life. The man, however, contended that they had been in a relationship since 2014–2015 and that both families had agreed to their marriage.
• He alleged that the woman’s family demanded large sums of money, which he provided in good faith, but the demands escalated, leading to the marriage being called off.
• He said he later filed a complaint before a Magistrate court, where proceedings are still pending. After examining the records, the bench held that neither a prior relationship nor financial dealings entitled the man to post objectionable material online.