Bombay High Court imposed Rs 25 lakh fine to a Haryana based lady entrepreneur and her husband for misusing the gender protection laws by threatening to file a fake rape case.
Neha Gandhir, the proprietor of Feel Good India Company, Haryana was in a trademark infringement fight with a Mumbai-based company called Sapat and Company. She allegedly threatened to file a false molestation case against the court receiver.
A case was filed by Sapat Company against Feel Good for infringing on their trademark name for a cough syrup. The High Court restrained Gandhir’s company Feel Good from infringing the copyright on December 21, 2018, and appointed a court receiver to seize goods from their factories.
However, owner of Feel Good Company Neha Gandhir not only stopped the people from collecting the packing material but also threatened them to frame them in a false molestation case.
Taking note of the threat to frame the opponent in a false case, the High Court imposed the hefty fine of them.
While listening the matter, Justice S Kathawalla said, “Time and again, it is noted with distress, that a socially enabling piece of legislation, is being grossly misused with impunity, by the very gender for whose empowerment it has been enacted, leaving the male/s facing grossly wrong and derogatory charges, which they have to thereafter defend themselves against. Such gross and patent misuse of a socially enabling piece of legislation has to be sternly condemned by the Courts and dealt with a very stern hand.”
The fine was slapped on January 11 and has to be paid in three installments by February 28, 2019.
Out of these 25 lakhs, 5 lakhs are to be paid to the applicant and 20 lakhs are to be donated to the Tata Memorial hospital.
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