The Himachal Pradesh High Court observed that all roads and Expressways are lifelines and quashed FIR registered against two persons for being members of an unlawful assembly which allegedly blocked National Highway, Shimla thereby causing wrongful restraint.
Opining that it is "one of the exceptional cases where Court should exercise its inherent jurisdiction under sec. 482 of CrPC", a single judge bench comprising of Justice Anoop Chitkara quashed the FIR.
"All roads, be it expressways, village roads, or colony roads, are lifelines. Under any pretext, how so ever justifiable it might be, the blocking of any highway, road, street, or path can neither be condoned nor forgiven or approved. However, mere presence at the spot in the demonstration would not invite criminal acts in the facts and nature of allegations made in the present FIR", the Court observed.