Kerala High Court

Sarath.S vs State Of Kerala on 1 December, 2023

Author: P.V.Kunhikrishnan

Bench: P.V.Kunhikrishnan

             IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
                                PRESENT
           THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN
   FRIDAY, THE 1ST DAY OF DECEMBER 2023 / 10TH AGRAHAYANA, 1945
                     CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023
CRIME NO.258/2021 OF RANNI POLICE STATION, PATHANAMTHITTA.
PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.6:

          SARATH S.,
          AGED 34 YEARS, S/O. SASIDHARAN NAIR,
          VECHUTHUNDYIL HOUSE,
          MAKKAPPUZHA, CHETTAKKAL P.O.,
          RANNI-PAZHAVANGADI VILLAGE, RANNY TALUK,
          PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, PIN-689 677.

          BY ADVS.
          V.SETHUNATH
          V.R.MANORANJAN (MUVATTUPUZHA)
          SREEGANESH U.
          LAKSHMINARAYAN.R


RESPONDENTS/STATE:

    1     STATE OF KERALA
          REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
          HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN-682 031.

    2     THE SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE,
          RANNI POLICE STATION,
          PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, PIN-689 672.

    3     RAJANI SHIBU,
          AGED 44 YEARS, W/O. SHIBU CHACKO,
          PULIMOOTTIL HOUSE,
          PODIPPARA, CHETHACKAL P.O.,
          RANNI TALUK, PATHANAMTHITTA, PIN-689 677.

  R1&R2   SRI. M.P. PRASANTH, PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

    R3    SRI. THOMAS ABRAHAM

     THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
01.12.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:
                                       -2-
CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023



                      P.V. KUNHIKRISHNAN, J.
            -------------------------------------------------------
                      Crl. M.C. No.9718 of 2023
            -------------------------------------------------------
            Dated this the 1st day of December, 2023

                                  ORDER

This Criminal Miscellaneous Case is filed under Section

482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ("the Code" for

the sake of brevity).

2. The petitioner is the accused in Crime

No.258/2021 of Ranni Police Station, Pathanamthitta. The

above case is registered alleging offences punishable under

Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 447 and 427 of the Indian Penal

Code.

3. The prosecution case is that the accused formed

themselves into an unlawful assembly and committed

mischief.

4. The victim is ready to settle the matter only with

the petitioner herein. Such a settlement is possible in the

light of the judgment of this Court in Sajeev v. State of

Kerala [2022(2) KLT 861].

CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023

4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

the parties in this case have settled their dispute and do not

wish to pursue the prosecution proceedings. The counsel

relies on the affidavit filed by the victim in support of his

contention. The counsel appearing for the victim also

submitted that the matter is settled and the victim has no

objection in quashing the prosecution.

5. The learned Public Prosecutor, on instructions, has

expressed reservations about quashing the proceedings

solely on the basis of the settlement. But the Public

Prosecutor conceded that the matter is settled between the

parties.

6. This Court has considered the submission of the

petitioner, victim and the Public Prosecutor and has also

gone through the records including the affidavit filed by the

victim.

7. In State of Madhya Pradesh v. Laxmi Narayan

and Others (2019 (5) SCC 688), three judge bench of the

Hon'ble Supreme Court has summarized the situation in

which non compoundable offences can be quashed invoking

CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023

the powers under Section 482 of the Code. The Apex Court

in Laxmi Narayan's case (supra) also relied on the law laid

down in Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and another

(2012 (10) SCC 303) and Narinder Singh and others v.

State of Punjab and another (2014 (6) SCC 466). The

Apex Court in paragraph 13 of the Laxmi Narayan's case

discussed the law in detail and the same is extracted

hereunder:

"13. Considering the law on the point and the other decisions of this Court on the point, referred to herein above, it is observed and held as under:

i) that the power conferred under S.482 of the Code to quash the criminal proceedings for the non - compoundable offences under S.320 of the Code can be exercised having overwhelmingly and predominantly the civil character, particularly those arising out of commercial transactions or arising out of matrimonial relationship or family disputes and when the parties have resolved the entire dispute amongst themselves;

ii) such power is not to be exercised in those prosecutions which involved heinous and serious offences of mental depravity or offences like murder, rape, dacoity, etc.

CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023

Such offences are not private in nature and have a serious impact on society;

iii) similarly, such power is not to be exercised for the offences under the special statutes like Prevention of Corruption Act or the offences committed by public servants while working in that capacity are not to be quashed merely on the basis of compromise between the victim and the offender;

iv) offences under S.307 IPC and the Arms Act etc. would fall in the category of heinous and serious offences and therefore are to be treated as crime against the society and not against the individual alone, and therefore, the criminal proceedings for the offence under S.307 IPC and / or the Arms Act etc. which have a serious impact on the society cannot be quashed in exercise of powers under S.482 of the Code, on the ground that the parties have resolved their entire dispute amongst themselves. However, the High Court would not rest its decision merely because there is a mention of S.307 IPC in the FIR or the charge is framed under this provision. It would be open to the High Court to examine as to whether incorporation of S.307 IPC is there for the sake of it or the prosecution has collected sufficient evidence, which if proved, would

CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023

lead to framing the charge under S.307 IPC. For this purpose, it would be open to the High Court to go by the nature of injury sustained, whether such injury is inflicted on the vital / delegate parts of the body, nature of weapons used etc. However, such an exercise by the High Court would be permissible only after the evidence is collected after investigation and the charge sheet is filed / charge is framed and / or during the trial. Such exercise is not permissible when the matter is still under investigation. Therefore, the ultimate conclusion in paragraphs 29.6 and 29.7 of the decision of this Court in the case of Narinder Singh (supra) should be read harmoniously and to be read as a whole and in the circumstances stated herein above;

v) while exercising the power under S.482 of the Code to quash the criminal proceedings in respect of non-

compoundable offences, which are private in nature and do not have a serious impart on society, on the ground that there is a settlement / compromise between the victim and the offender, the High Court is required to consider the antecedents of the accused; the conduct of the accused, namely, whether the accused was absconding and why he was absconding,

CRL.M.C. NO.9718 OF 2023

how he had managed with the complainant to enter into a compromise etc."

8. Keeping in mind the above dictum laid down by

the Apex Court, this Court perused the facts in this case and

also perused the documents produced by the parties. After

going through the entire facts and circumstances, I am of

the considered opinion that, the dispute is private in nature

and the settlement can be accepted.

Therefore, this Criminal Miscellaneous Case is allowed.

All further proceedings in Crime No.258/2021 of Ranni

Police Station, Pathanamthitta, as against the petitioner

alone is quashed.