A single word, “pretty”, sent in a private Instagram message, put a college student in front of a criminal court. On Tuesday the Karnataka High Court ended the case.
Justice M Nagaprasanna quashed the criminal proceedings against the student, who had been booked for voyeurism, stalking and outraging the modesty of a woman. The message, he found, was a private exchange between classmates and no crime. The ruling was reported on July 21, 2026, by Bar and Bench and CourtBook.
How it started
The student had sent the direct message to a classmate, calling her “pretty” and complimenting her appearance. The chat was later shown to the classmate’s father, and an FIR followed. The student, a state-level cricketer, told the court the case had badly affected his future. He also said his mobile phone and laptop were seized during the investigation, allegedly without following the prescribed legal procedure.
What the judge said
Justice Nagaprasanna read the conversation himself. “The chat is not a public chat. It is a chat between two individuals,” he observed, adding that the language was the kind students use today and that “cannot become a crime”.
He accepted that one expression the student used may have been inappropriate. Taken as a whole, though, he described the exchange as “Gen Z lingo” and held that it did not amount to stalking, voyeurism or outraging a woman’s modesty. Letting the criminal case go on over such a private conversation would be an abuse of the legal process, the court said, and would put the student’s career at risk.
The court allowed the petition, quashing the FIR and every consequential proceeding. It also ordered the investigating officer to return the petitioner’s electronic devices immediately if police still held them.
The case is Mr. Thomas Jadan Paldano G v. State of Karnataka & Another, WP No. 34898/2024, decided on 21 July 2026.
Sources
- Calling classmate pretty on Instagram DM not voyeurism or stalking; Karnataka HC quashes FIR against student
- Calling Classmate ‘Pretty’ in Private Instagram DM Is Not a Crime, Karnataka HC Quashes FIR Against Student
