Supreme Court Sweeps Clean: Workplace Admonitions Not Criminal Insults

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that admonitions by seniors in the workplace are not intentional insults requiring criminal proceedings. This decision came as the court quashed a criminal case against an institute director, emphasizing that such admonitions do not fit within the definition of intentional insults under the law.

The Supreme Court of India has clarified that workplace admonitions by senior officials do not qualify as intentional insults warranting criminal charges. This ruling aims to prevent a punitive approach that could undermine workplace discipline.

A bench consisting of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta concluded that acts such as abuse or rudeness at work do not constitute "intentional insult" under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This part of the code is slated to be replaced by Section 352 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in July 2024.

The judgment came while quashing charges against the director of a national institute accused of scolding an assistant professor. The court found the allegations lacked the severity needed to invoke Sections 269 and 270 of the IPC, which address acts that could spread infectious diseases.

(With inputs from agencies.)