New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- The Delhi High Court has quashed criminal defamation proceedings arising from a long-standing family property and testamentary dispute, holding that allegations made in judicial pleadings and a police complaint do not, by themselves, amount to defamation under the Indian Penal Code.

In a judgment pronounced on January 20, 2026, the Court allowed petitions filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and set aside the criminal complaint, the summoning order passed by the trial court, and the subsequent order framing notice for offences under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC.

The criminal complaint stemmed from allegations that one family member had made defamatory statements against another in three cont...