Arnolis vs Babunhamy – clr volume 3 page 049_1

In the case between Arnolis (appellant) and Babunhamy (respondent), the court addressed whether a magistrate, under Section 236 of the Criminal Procedure Code, is permitted to award compensation per accused person when frivolous charges are brought against multiple individuals. The court held that Section 236 authorizes a magistrate to order payment of compensation—up to Rs. 10—to each accused separately, rather than capping compensation for all accused collectively at the statutory limit. This interpretation reaffirms the principle that statutory provisions for compensation must be given their plain meaning to avoid unjust outcomes, relying on Kanapatipillai v. Vellaiyan and prior judicial commentary, and emphasizing that compensation should not be diminished solely on account of the numb