Reeturaj Singh v. Central Bureau of Investigation

In 2025, Reeturaj Singh filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Singh alleged that the CBI had initiated a malicious and baseless criminal prosecution against him, constituting a gross abuse of legal process. He claimed the investigation was conducted without proper jurisdiction and was aimed solely at harassing him, thereby violating his fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution. The case challenged the agency's procedural conduct and sought the quashing of the FIR and subsequent proceedings, along with compensation for the reputational damage and mental agony suffered due to the allegedly mala fide actions of the premier investigating agency.

The Supreme Court of India ruled in favor of Reeturaj Singh, quashing the criminal proceedings initiated by the CBI. The court observed that the prosecution was a textbook case of malicious prosecution and an abuse of the legal process, imposing exemplary costs on the agency for its mala fide actions.

The core dispute was whether the CBI's investigation and prosecution of Reeturaj Singh were a legitimate exercise of its statutory powers or a malicious abuse of process that infringed upon his fundamental right to life and personal liberty.

The judgment was widely hailed as a landmark decision reinforcing accountability for India's premier investigative agency. It set a significant precedent against investigative overreach and malicious prosecution, bolstering public confidence in the judiciary's role as a protector of citizens' fundamental rights against state harassment.