Punjab-Haryana High Court
Ashok Kumar And Others vs State Of Punjab And Others on 12 October, 2015
Author: Sabina
Bench: Sabina
Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014 -1 -
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA
AT CHANDIGARH.
Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014
Date of Decision: 12.10.2015.
Ashok Kumar and others ........Petitioners
Vs.
State of Punjab and others ......Respondents
CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SABINA
Present: Mr. Vikas Gupta, Advocate
for the petitioners.
Mr. J.S.Sekhon, AAG, Punjab.
.....
SABINA, J.
Petitioners have filed this petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for quashing of FIR No. 12 dated 17.2.2012, under Section 325, 324, 323, 506, 148, 149 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ('IPC' for short), registered at Police Station Islamabad, District Amritsar (Annexure P-1) and all the subsequent proceedings arising therefrom on the basis of compromise dated 28.10.2014 (Annexure P-2) effected between the parties.
Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the parties have amicably settled their dispute.
Vide order dated 10.11.2014, Chief Judicial Magistrate was directed to record the statements of the parties and send its report with regard to genuineness of the compromise effected between the parties.
In pursuance to the said order, the Chief Judicial Magistrate has recorded the statement of the accused as well as GURPREET SINGH 2015.10.13 15:24 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document chandigarh Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014 -2 - complainant Sandeep Singh wherein complainant stated as under:-
"I have got registered FIR No. 12 dated 17.2.12 under Sections 325, 324, 323, 506, 148, 149 IPC, Police Station Islamabad against accused Ashok Kumar, Bimla Rani, Sajan, Rajan and Mohinder Pal present today in the court and with the intervention of the respectable, entire matter between me and above named accused is amicably settled. Now, I have arrived at the compromise with the accused, out of my free will and willful consent and there is no pressure upon me. There is no other case pending except the present one. I have no objection, if the FIR no. 12 dated 17.2.12 under sections 325, 324, 323, 506, 148, 149 IPC, Police Station Islamabad, Amritsar is quashed."
As per the Full Bench judgment of this Court in Kulwinder Singh and others vs. State of Punjab, 2007 (3) RCR (Criminal) 1052, High Court has power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to allow the compounding of non-compoundable offence and quash the prosecution where the High Court felt that the same was required to prevent the abuse of the process of any Court or to otherwise secure the ends of justice. This power of quashing is not confined to matrimonial disputes alone.
Hon'ble the Apex Court in the case of Gian Singh vs. State of Punjab and another 2012 (4) RCR (Crl.) 543, has held as under:-
"57. The position that emerges from the above discussion can be summarised thus: the power of the GURPREET SINGH 2015.10.13 15:24 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document chandigarh Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014 -3 - High Court in quashing a criminal proceeding or FIR or complaint in exercise of its inherent jurisdiction is distinct and different from the power given to a criminal court for compounding the offences under Section 320 of the Code. Inherent power is of wide plenitude with no statutory limitation but it has to be exercised in accord with the guideline engrafted in such power viz; (i) to secure the ends of justice or (ii) to prevent abuse of the process of any Court. In what cases power to quash the criminal proceeding or complaint or F.I.R may be exercised where the offender and victim have settled their dispute would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case and no category can be prescribed. However, before exercise of such power, the High Court must have due regard to the nature and gravity of the crime. Heinous and serious offences of mental depravity or offences like murder, rape, dacoity, etc. cannot be fittingly quashed even though the victim or victim's family and the offender have settled the dispute. Such offences are not private in nature and have serious impact on society. Similarly, any compromise between the victim and offender in relation to the offences under special statutes like Prevention of Corruption Act or the offences committed by public servants while working in that capacity etc; cannot provide for any basis for quashing criminal proceedings involving such offences. But the criminal cases having GURPREET SINGH 2015.10.13 15:24 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document chandigarh Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014 -4 - overwhelmingly and pre-dominatingly civil flavour stand on different footing for the purposes of quashing, particularly the offences arising from commercial, financial, mercantile, civil, partnership or such like transactions or the offences arising out of matrimony relating to dowry, etc. or the family disputes where the wrong is basically private or personal in nature and the parties have resolved their entire dispute. In this category of cases, High Court may quash criminal proceedings if in its view, because of the compromise between the offender and victim, the possibility of conviction is remote and bleak and continuation of criminal case would put accused to great oppression and prejudice and extreme injustice would be caused to him by not quashing the criminal case despite full and complete settlement and compromise with the victim. In other words, the High Court must consider whether it would be unfair or contrary to the interest of justice to continue with the criminal proceeding or continuation of the criminal proceeding would tantamount to abuse of process of law despite settlement and compromise between the victim and wrongdoer and whether to secure the ends of justice, it is appropriate that criminal case is put to an end and if the answer to the above question(s) is in affirmative, the High Court shall be well within its jurisdiction to quash the criminal proceeding."
GURPREET SINGH 2015.10.13 15:24 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document chandigarh Crl. Misc. No. M-37952 of 2014 -5 -
Since the parties have arrived at a compromise and have decided to live in peace, no useful purpose would be served in allowing the criminal proceedings to continue.
Accordingly, this petition is allowed. FIR No. 12 dated 17.2.2012, under Section 325, 324, 323, 506, 148, 149 IPC, registered at Police Station Islamabad, District Amritsar (Annexure P-1) and all the consequential proceedings, arising therefrom, are quashed.
(SABINA) JUDGE October 12, 2015 Gurpreet GURPREET SINGH 2015.10.13 15:24 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document chandigarh