Private Complaints Barred for Company Fraud Without SFIO Approval

Yerram Vijay Kumar Vs State of Telangana & Anr. (Supreme Court of India) Private Complaints Barred for Companies Act Fraud—Sections 448/451 Require SFIO Route-Supreme Court: No Private Shortcut to Corporate Fraud Prosecution: Supreme Court Rings the SFIO Bell The Supreme Court (2026 INSC 42) partly allowed the appeals and quashed criminal proceedings under Sections 448 and 451 of the Companies Act, 2013, holding that such offences cannot be taken cognizance of on the basis of a private complaint. The Court held that Section 448 (false statements) is inseparably linked to Section 447 (fra...