India, June 11 -- The Karnataka high court has quashed criminal proceedings against a Bengaluru resident accused of "kidnapping" his neighbour's cat, Daisy, and rebuked the police for getting entangled in what it called a "whimsical pursuit of justice."

"The cat named Daisy appears to have driven everyone crazy...even the criminal justice system...," said the court on Tuesday.

Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard the case, expressed disbelief that a dispute over a missing feline spiralled into a full-blown criminal case, with a First Information Report (FIR), investigation, CCTV scrutiny, and a charge sheet invoking serious provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In 2022, Nikitha Anjana Iyer filed a complaint against her neighbour, Tah...