India, Jan. 31 -- Quashing a criminal case registered against an advocate, the Supreme Court has said that the mere presence of a lawyer in his capacity of discharging professional duty of either giving advice or suggestion cannot amount to intimidation.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale said vague allegations unsupported by prima facie cogent evidence cannot constitute an offence indicated under Section 506 of the IPC (criminal intimidation).

The Supreme Court quashed the criminal case for an offence under Section 506 of the IPC registered against lawyer Beri Manoj, who is an uncle of an accused in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case.

The bench noted that there was improvement in the statemen...