The Supreme Court has reversed a Madras High Court decision granting anticipatory bail to a couple accused of cheating the man’s elderly mother in a multi-crore property deal. The apex court criticized the repeated bail pleas as an abuse of legal process, emphasizing serious financial irregularities and exploitation of a senior citizen in the case. The dispute involves allegations of inducing property transfers and misappropriation of sale proceeds.
Describing the situation as a “sordid saga,” the Supreme Court highlighted the exploitation of a mother by her son and daughter-in-law. The FIR, filed in May 2025, accuses the couple of inducing the transfer of family properties and misusing the proceeds from land sales. The complainant alleges that she was misled about the land’s sale price and the subsequent misappropriation of funds.
The accused allegedly convinced the complainant to transfer her house and then left her homeless, according to the FIR. The Sessions Court in Tiruchirapalli rejected their anticipatory bail pleas in July 2025, leading to a subsequent dismissal by the Madras High Court in August 2025. However, the accused managed to secure relief with a fresh bail plea in September 2025, prompting the Supreme Court’s intervention.
The apex court criticized the High Court for not considering the earlier rejected bail plea and emphasized the misuse of legal processes. It noted that the accused’s actions, including seeking to quash the FIR immediately after securing bail, hindered the investigation. The Supreme Court concluded that the case, involving exploitation of a family elder, was not suitable for anticipatory bail and overturned the High Court’s decision.
