Employer’s Reprimand at Workplace Not ‘Intentional Insult’ Under S 504 IPC : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings stating that "mere abuse, discourtesy, rudeness or insolence does not amount to an intentional insult within the meaning of Section 504 IPC.  

The appeal was filed by the Director of the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), Secunderabad who reprimanded the complainant in front of colleagues following multiple complaints by the parents of the students about her unavailability during the duty hours.

The court said that there should be an 'intentional insult with the intent to provoke', here the appellant was trying to maintain discipline in discharge of his duties.