India, Sept. 26 -- The Supreme Court has cautioned that misuse of the machinery of criminal justice must be "nipped in the bud," stressing that frivolous prosecutions not only deepen divisions in society but also impose an undue strain on already burdened courts.

"In recent years, the machinery of criminal justice has been misused by certain persons for their vested interests and for achieving their oblique motives and agenda. Courts have therefore to be vigilant against such tendencies and ensure that acts of omission and commission having an adverse impact on the fabric of our society must be nipped in the bud," a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan said.

It underlined that criminal prosecution cannot be allowed to be used...