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The high court concluded that Shaadi.com was indeed functioning as an intermediary and therefore enjoyed the protections of Section 79 of the IT Act
The FIR named Mittal personally and invoked provisions of cheating, extortion, criminal intimidation and conspiracy. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
The Allahabad High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, stating that the matrimonial website, as an internet intermediary, cannot be held answerable for the conduct of its users.
A division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Madan Pal Singh passed the order on September 26, 2025, allowing Mittal’s writ petition and quashing the FIR registered at New Agra police station in January 2022.
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A complaint was filed by an advocate who claimed to have subscribed to Shaadi.com to find a matrimonial match. According to his allegations, certain individuals operating profiles on the platform engaged in obscene conduct, with one user, Monika Gupta, allegedly recording objectionable videos and demanding Rs 5,100 as extortion money. Despite raising his concerns with Shaadi.com’s customer service and even reaching out to Mittal directly, the complainant alleged that no corrective action was taken, prompting him to lodge the FIR.
The FIR named Mittal personally and invoked provisions of cheating, extortion, criminal intimidation and conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The complainant accused Mittal of betraying his trust under the guise of offering matrimonial services.
Mittal contested the allegations, calling them “false and ludicrous”. His legal team, led by senior advocate Manish Tiwari, argued that Shaadi.com’s role was limited to that of an intermediary under Section 2(w) of the IT Act and thus fell squarely within the statutory safe-harbour protections of Section 79. The platform, counsel stressed, exercised due diligence by verifying user information, providing privacy safeguards, and removing objectionable profiles when notified. Crucially, they pointed out that neither Mittal nor the company exercised control over the actions of registered users once profiles were activated.
The counsel also emphasised that the company itself had not been made an accused party in the case, a fact that, in their view, made Mittal’s personal prosecution legally untenable. They further argued that the elements of extortion and cheating were absent, since no property or money had actually changed hands, and no dishonest inducement was attributable to Mittal.
The complainant, however, maintained that the FIR was based on accurate facts and accused Shaadi.com of permitting unverified and duplicate profiles, thereby enabling fraudulent activities. He also alleged that Mittal’s influence was interfering with the investigation.
The high court, after considering the rival submissions, concluded that Shaadi.com was indeed functioning as an intermediary and therefore enjoyed the protections of Section 79 of the IT Act. The bench observed that criminal liability could not be fastened on Mittal merely because the complainant faced harassment from other users of the platform. It noted that there was no evidence of abetment by the company or its CEO, and that extortion or cheating charges could not be sustained in the absence of delivery of money or dishonest inducement.
Holding that Mittal could not be personally prosecuted when the company itself was not named, court quashed the FIR as it applied to him.
About the Author
Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr…Read More
Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr… Read More
Prayagraj, India, India
September 29, 2025, 15:23 IST
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