Human teeth, not a dangerous weapon: Bombay High Court after woman alleges being bit by sister-in-law

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Human teeth cannot be considered as a dangerous weapon that would cause serious harm, the Bombay High Court said quashing an FIR filed on a woman's complaint against her in-laws wherein she alleged her sister-in-law bit her, reported news agency PTI.

The complainant's medical certificates show there was only simple hurt caused by teeth marks, Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Sanjay Deshmukh of the HC's Aurangabad bench said in the order on April 4.

As per the FIR lodged in April 2020 on the woman's complaint, during a scuffle, one of her sisters-in-law bit her, thus causing her harm with a dangerous weapon.

The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for causing harm with dangerous weapons, hurting someone and causing injury, reported PTI.

The court in its order said, "Human teeth cannot be said to be a dangerous weapon."

It allowed a petition filed by the accused and quashed the FIR.

Under section 324 of the Indian Penal Code (causing hurt using a dangerous weapon), the hurt should be by means of an instrument that is likely to cause death or serious harm, the HC said, reported PTI.

The medical certificates of the complainant in the present case show there was only simple hurt caused by teeth marks, the court said.

It would be an abuse of the process of law to make the accused face trial when the offence under section 324 is not made out, the HC said and quashed the FIR.

The court noted there appears to be a property dispute between the accused and the complainant.

HC stays human rights panel order directing Mumbai police chief to pay Rs 10 lakh to jeweller

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed an order of the state human rights commission directing Mumbai top cop Vivek Phansalkar and a DCP to pay Rs 10 lakh to a jeweller who had accused four policemen of extorting him.

In December last year, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission passed the order directing Phansalkar and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone 1, Pravin Mundhe, to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the jeweller, Nishant Jain.

(With inputs from PTI)