Karnataka High Court
Devaraju vs The State Of Karnataka on 5 July, 2023
Author: M.Nagaprasanna
Bench: M.Nagaprasanna
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NC: 2023:KHC:23156
CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 5TH DAY OF JULY, 2023
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA
CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 3158 OF 2022
BETWEEN:
1. DEVARAJU
S/O LATE SHAMANNA
AGED ABOUT 64 YEARS
2. SMT. CHANDRAVATHI
W/O DEVARAJU
AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS
3. KIRAN
S/O DEVARAJ
AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS
ALL ARE RESIDING AT NO.13
6TH CROSS, JNANAJYOTHI NAGAR
Digitally signed by ULLAL MAIN ROAD
PADMAVATHI B K
Location: HIGH
BENGALURU - 560 072.
COURT OF ...PETITIONERS
KARNATAKA
(BY SRI RAMESH ADITHYA, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA
BY MARATHAHALLI POLICE STATION
BENGALURU - 560 001.
REPRESENTED BY LEARNED
STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
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NC: 2023:KHC:23156
CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022
BENGALURU - 560 001.
2. SARIKA SUSHMA H.,
AGED ABOUT 26 YEARS
NO.15, 2ND 'B' CROSS
SAPTAGIRI LAYOUT
MUNNEKOLAL
MARATHAHALLI
BENGALURU - 560 037.
...RESPONDENTS
(BY SMT. K.P.YASHODA, HCGP FOR R-1;
R-2 IS SERVED)
THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 482
OF CR.P.C., PRAYING TO QUASH THE CHARGE SHEET IN
C.C.NO.50457/2022 REGISTERED IN MARATHAHALLI POLICE
STATION UNDER CR.NO.235/2021 FOR THE ALLEGED
OFFENCES P/U/S 498A, 323, 506 R/W 34 OF IPC AND SECTION
3 AND 4 OF D.P. ACT PENDING ON THE FILE OF XXIX
ADDL.C.M.M., BENGALURU.
THIS CRIMINAL PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION,
THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:
ORDER
The petitioners are before this Court calling in question proceedings in C.C.No.50457/2022, registered for the offences under Sections 498A, 323, 506 r/w. 34 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
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NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022
2. Heard Sri Ramesh Adithya, learned counsel for petitioners and Smt. K.P.Yashoda, learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent No.1.
3. Brief facts, germane, are as follows:
Before embarking upon the consideration of the issue in the lis, I deem it appropriate to notice the relationship of the parties in the lis. Respondent No.2 is the complainant - wife of one Lokesh - accused No.1, who is not before the Court;
petitioners are father in-law, mother in-law and brother in-law of respondent No.2 - wife.
4. Accused No.1 and the complainant get married on 30.08.2020. It transpires that after marriage, the relationship between the husband - accused No.1 and the complainant floundered. Upon such floundering of relationship, the complainant seeks to register a complaint against accused No.1
- husband and all other family members on 29.10.2021. The complaint then becomes a crime in Crime No.235/2021 for the offences under Sections 498A, 323, 506 r/w. 34 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The police after investigation file its final report i.e., charge sheet against -4- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 the petitioners and accused No.1. The filing of the charge sheet is what drives the petitioners to this Court in the subject petition. As observed hereinabove, accused No.1 is not before the Court.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioners would contend that on a perusal at the complaint or the summary of the charge sheet as obtaining in column No.17 would not indicate any ingredients that would become offence under Section 506 of the IPC or even under the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act. He would submit that the family members are without any rhyme or reason are dragged into these proceedings and seek quashment of the proceedings.
6. Learned High Court Government Pleader refuting the submissions of the learned counsel for the petitioners would contend that the allegations against the petitioners are also present with regard to the demand of dowry though not in many words explained in the complaint but the same is revealed in the investigation. All the allegations are against the petitioners and accused No.1 and therefore, the petition should -5- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 be rejected and the petitioners should come out clean in a full blown trial.
7. I have given my anxious consideration to the submissions made by the learned counsel for the respective parties and have perused the material on record.
8. The afore-narrated facts are not in dispute and requires no reiteration. A complaint comes to be registered by respondent No.2 - wife against the husband - accused No.1 and the members of the family of accused No.1. A perusal at the complaint would indicate that all the offences are alleged against accused No.1 - husband, who is not before the Court. Insofar as the allegations against petitioner Nos.1 and 2, who are mother in-law and father in-law of respondent No.2 are concerned, they would not become the ingredients of offence under Section 498A of the IPC.
9. Insofar as petitioner No.3 - brother in-law is concerned, what is found against him as narrated in the complaint, is as follows:
"His father Devaraj was not at all behaving with good manner and his Brother Kiran cab driver -6- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 misbehaving with me whenever I am alone in the kitchen or in the bedroom or in the hall."
(Emphasis added) Accused No.4 who is the brother in-law, who is said to have misbehaved with the complainant, when she was in the kitchen, bedroom or in the hall. This is the statement given by the complainant in the complaint. The police conduct investigation on the complaint and file final report i.e., charge sheet. Column No.7 of the charge sheet reads as follows:
"¢£ÁAPÀ 30-08-2020 gÀAzÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ zÉÆõÁgÉÆÃ¥Àt¥ÀnÖ PÁ®A £ÀA§gï-4gÀ°è £ÀªÀÄÆ¢¹gÀĪÀ J1 DgÉÆæ eÉÆvÉAiÀÄ°è »AzÀÄ ¸ÀA¥ÀæzÁAiÀÄzÀ ¥ÀæPÁgÀ ªÀÄÄ£ÉßÃPÉƼÁî®zÀ ²æïQëöä £ÁgÁAiÀÄt zÉêÀ¸ÁÜ£ÀzÀ°è UÀÄgÀÄ »jAiÀÄ ¸ÀªÄÀ PÀëªÀÄ ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀiÁVzÀÄÝ, ªÀÄzÀÄªÉ ¸ÀªÀÄAiÀÄzÀ°è J1, J2, J3 ªÀÄvÀÄÛ J4 DgÉÆæUÀ¼ÀÄ ºÉýzÀAvÉ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ ¥ÉÆõÀPÀgÁzÀ ¸ÁQë-4 ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¸Á-5 gÀªÀgÀÄ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ 35 ¸ÀƪÀgÀ£ï a£ÀßzÀ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ 15 PÉf ¨É½îAiÀÄ D¨sÀgÀtUÀ¼À£ÀÄß 1 PÁgï ªÀ£ÀÄß ªÀgÀzÀQëuÉAiÀiÁV ¤ÃqÀ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ 13 ®PÀë gÀÆUÀ¼À£ÀÄß RZÀÄð ªÀiÁr CzÀÆÝjAiÀiÁV ªÀÄzÀĪɪÀiÁrzÀÄÝ, »ÃVgÀĪÁUÀ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ ¸ÀĪÁgÀÄ 02 wAUÀ¼À PÁ® vÀ£Àß UÀAqÀ£À ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°ègÀĪÁUÀ DUÀ DgÉÆæUÀ¼ÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ GzÉÝò¹ ¤Ã£ÀÄ E£ÀÄß 05 ®PÀë gÀÆUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ¥ÀqÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ §gÀĪÀAvÉ ºÉý ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ ªÀgÀzÀQëuÉUÁV MvÁÛAiÀÄ ¥Àr¹ ªÀiÁ£À¹PÀªÁV ªÀÄvÀÄÛ zÉÊ»PÀªÁV »A¸ÉAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¤ÃrgÀÄvÁÛgÉ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ CPÉÆÖçgï 2020£Éà ¸Á°£À°è ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ DAiÀÄÄzsÀ ¥ÀÆeÉAiÀÄ ¸ÀªÀÄAiÀÄzÀ°è zsÀgÀ¹zÀ vÀ£Àß a£ÀßzÀ D¨sÀgÀtUÀ¼À£ÀÄß DgÉÆæUÀ¼ÀÄ vÀªÀÄä ªÀ±ÀPÉÌ ¥ÀqÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ CzÀ£ÀÄß ¸ÀºÀ ªÁ¥À¸ÀÄì ¤ÃrgÀĪÀÅ¢®è. F MqÀªÉUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ ªÁ¥À¸ÀÄì ¤ÃqÀĪÀAvÉ DgÉÆævÀ½UÉ PÉýzÁUÀ CªÀgÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ GzÉÝò¹ ¤£Àß J¯Áè a£ÀßzÀ D¨sÀgÀtUÀ¼ÀÄ ¨ÁåAPï ¯ÁPÀgï £À°è EgÀÄvÀÛzÉ JAzÀÄ w½¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £ÀAvÀgÀ dÆ£ï-2021£Éà ¸Á°¤AzÀ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ J1 DgÉÆæAiÀÄ eÉÆvÉAiÀÄ°è ªÀiÁgÀvÀÛºÀ½î, ¥Éưøï oÁuÉAiÀÄ ¸ÀgÀºÀ¢ÝUÉ §gÀĪÀ ªÀÄÄ£ÉßÃPÉƼÁî® 2£Éà PÁæ¸ï ªÀÄ£É £ÀA§gï-70/1-2 gÀ°è ¨ÁrUÉAiÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°è ªÁ¸ÀªÁVzÀÄÝ, ¸ÀzÀj ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ ¨ÉÃPÁVgÀĪÀAvÀºÀ J¯Áè ªÀ¸ÀÄÛUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ¸Á-2 ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¸Á-3 gÀªÀgÀÄUÀ¼Éà Rjâ ªÀiÁrPÉÆAqÀÄ §A¢gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. DzÀgÀÆ ¸ÀºÀ J-1 DgÉÆæAiÀÄÄ vÀ£Àß ¥ÉÆõÀPÀgÀÄ ªÀiÁvÀ£ÀÄß PÉýÃPÉÆAqÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ GzÉÝò¹ ¤Ã£ÀÄ E£ÀÄß ªÀgÀzÀPÀëuÉ ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß vÉUÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ ¨ÁgÀ¢zÀÝgÉ ¤£Àß -7- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 eÉÆvÉAiÀÄ°è £Á£ÀÄ ¸ÀA¸ÁgÀªÀ£ÀÄß ªÀiÁqÀĪÀÅ¢®èªÉAzÀÄ ºÉý ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ£ÀÄß ¨ÁrUÉ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°è ©lÄÖ DgÉÆæAiÀÄÄ ºÉÆgÀlÄ ºÉÆÃVgÀĪÀÅzÀÄ vÀ¤SÉAiÀÄ°è zÉÊqsÀ¥ÀrØgÀÄvÀÛzÉ.
DzÀÝjAzÀ ªÉÄîÌAqÀ PÀ®A C£ÀéAiÀÄ DgÉÆæUÀ¼ÀÄ «gÀÄzÀÞ zÉÆõÁgÉÆÃ¥Àt¥ÀnÖ ¸À°è¹gÀÄvÀÛzÉ."
A perusal of the summary of the charge sheet as quoted hereinabove would indicate that all the allegations are against the husband, which would become ingredients of Section 498A of the IPC. Therefore, permitting further proceedings against petitioner Nos.2 and 3 undoubtedly would become an abuse of the process of law as the allegations are against the husband - accused No.1, for the offence under Section 498A or 323, 506 r/w. 34 of the IPC is concerned.
10. Insofar as petitioner No.3 - accused No.4 is concerned, the allegation in the complaint that he has misbehaved with the complainant, is also the statements of all the witnesses, whose statements have been taken at the time of the investigation. All of them in unison give a statement that petitioner No.3 - accused No.4 used to misbehave with the complainant, whenever she was alone in the kitchen or in the bedroom or in the hall. The allegations of misbehaving with the -8- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 complainant by the brother in-law would not become an ingredient under Section 498A of the IPC but it becomes the ingredients of Sections 506 and 323 of the IPC. Therefore, offence punishable under Section 498A of the IPC cannot be laid against petitioner No.3 - accused No.4 even. Further investigation is required only against accused No.4 for the offences under Sections 323 and 506 of the IPC and by reserving liberty to the prosecution to bring in any other allegations against accused No.4, in accordance with subject to statutory compliance.
11. For the aforesaid reasons, the following:
ORDER a. The Criminal Petition is allowed in-part.
b. The proceedings in C.C.No.50457/2022, pending before the XXIX Additional CMM, Bengaluru, against petitioner Nos.1 and 2 - father in-law and mother in-
law are quashed.
c. The proceedings in C.C.No.50457/2022, pending before the XXIX Additional CMM, Bengaluru, against -9- NC: 2023:KHC:23156 CRL.P No. 3158 of 2022 petitioner No.3 - accused No.4 are partially quashed insofar as it pertains to allegations under Sections 498A and Sections 3 and 4 of the D.P.Act. Rest of the offences under Sections 323 and 506 r/w. 34 of the IPC, alleged against petitioner No.3 - accused No.4 are sustained, reserving liberty to the State as observed in the course of the order.
Sd/-
JUDGE NVJ List No.: 1 Sl No.: 55 CT:SS