Police Treat ₹93.53-Lakh Cheating Complaint As Civil; Madras HC Closes Writ, Leaves Private Complaint Open

The petitioner sought directions for consideration of his complaints dated 11 March 2026 and 27 August 2026, registration of an FIR against respondents 5 to 7 and their associates, investigation, and recovery of Rs. 93,53,000 allegedly cheated from him

By order dated 29 September 2026, the Court called upon the Inspector of Police, Sulur Police Station, to investigate the complaint forwarded by the fourth respondent.

The Inspector’s report, dated 23 October 2026, was produced before the Court

The Court recorded that the police had decided not to proceed because they considered the dispute civil in nature.

The judgment does not identify or apply any specific statutory provision, precedent, or detailed legal test concerning FIR registration or the distinction between civil disputes and criminal offences

It records that, after the police treated the complaint as civil in nature, the petitioner remained free to pursue other proceedings available to him, including lodging a private complaint before the jurisdictional Magistrate

The Court had directed an enquiry into the forwarded complaint and considered the Inspector’s report.

In light of the police’s decision not to proceed on the basis that the matter was civil in nature, the Court closed the writ petition rather than directing registration of an FIR, further investigation, or recovery of the alleged amount

It preserved the petitioner’s ability to pursue other remedies, including a private complaint before the jurisdictional Magistrate

The Court did not order FIR registration, investigation, or recovery of Rs. 93,53,000.

Closure of the complaint was expressly stated not to prevent the petitioner from initiating proceedings available to him, including filing a private complaint before the jurisdictional Magistrate