Sonu Kumar And Others vs State Of Haryana And Another
2022 Latest Caselaw 15168 P&H

             IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT
                           CHANDIGARH

(323)                                          CRM-M-32515-2022
                                               Date of Decision: 29.11.2022

Sonu Kumar & others                                           --Petitioners

                          Versus

State of Haryana & another                                    --Respondents

CORAM:- HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BHARDWAJ.

Present:-    Mr. Y.D. Kaushik, Advocate for the petitioners.

             Mr. B.S. Virk, DAG, Haryana.

             Ms. Kusum Raj, Advocate for respondent no.2.

             ***

RAJESH BHARDWAJ.J (Oral)

Instant petition has been filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C.

praying for quashing of FIR No.0056 dated 3.2.2016 under Sections 323,

34, 406, 498-A IPC registered at Police Station, Saran, District Faridabad

along with all the subsequent proceedings arising therefrom on the basis of

compromise dated 6.7.2022 (Annexure P-2).

FIR in question was got registered by complainant-respondent

No.2 and the investigation commenced thereon. However, with the

intervention of respectables, finally the parties arrived at settlement and

they resolved their inter se dispute, which is apparent from the compromise.

On the basis of the same, the petitioners are invoking the inherent power of

this Court by praying that continuation of these proceedings would be a

futile exercise and an abuse of process of the Court and thus, the FIR in

question and all the subsequent proceedings arising therefrom may be

quashed in the interest of justice.

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This Court vide orders dated 27.7.2022 directed the parties to

appear before the Illaqa Magistrate/Duty Magistrate for recording their

statements, as contended before the Court and the Illaqa Magistrate/Duty

Magistrate was also directed to send its report.

In pursuance to the same, learned JMIC, Faridabad sent his

report dated 17.11.2022 to this Court. With the report he has also annexed

the photocopies of statements of complainant Smt. Neha Rani, joint

statement of accused/petitioners Sonu Kumar, Ravinder Prashad and

Kanchan Devi recorded on 24.8.2022 along with statement of IO SI

Chaman recorded on 5.11.2022. On the basis of the statements, learned

JMIC, Faridabad has concluded in the report that it appears that the parties

have entered into a compromise voluntarily. It has been mentioned in the

report that the present FIR was lodged on the complaint of Smt. Neha Rani

against the accused Sonu Kumar, Kanchan Devi, Ravinder, Bharti and

Monu. During investigation accused Bharti and Monu were found

innocent. Challan against the accused Sonu Kumar, Kanchan Devi,

Ravinder was filed. It is also mentioned that petitioners/accused have not

been declared Proclaimed Offender in this case.

I have heard learned counsel for the parties, perused the record

and the report sent by learned JMIC, Faridabad.

A bare perusal of statutory provision of the 482 Cr.P.C. would

show that the High Court may make such orders, as may be necessary to

give effect to any order under this Code or to prevent abuse of the process

of any Court or otherwise to secure the ends of justice. Section 320 Cr.P.C.

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is equally relevant for consideration, which prescribes the procedure for

compounding of the offences under the Indian Penal Code.

Keeping in view the nature of offences allegedly committed

and the fact that both the parties have amicably settled their dispute, the

continuation of criminal prosecution would be a futile exercise. The Hon'ble

Supreme Court in a number of cases including Narinder Singh and others

Versus State of Punjab and another, 2014 (6) SCC 466; B.S.Joshi and

others vs State of Haryana and another (2003) 4 Supreme Court Cases

675 followed by this Court in Full Bench case of Kulwinder Singh and

others Vs. State of Punjab and another, 2007(3) RCR 1052 have dealt

with the proposition involved in the present case and settled the law.

Thereafter, Hon'ble Supreme Court in Gian Singh vs State of

Punjab and another (2012) 10 Supreme Court Cases 303 further dealt

with the issue and the earlier law settled by the Supreme Court for quashing

of the FIR in State of Haryana vs Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335.

Para 61 of the judgment reads as under:-

"61. The position that emerges from the above discussion can be summarised thus: the power of the 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

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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 befittingly 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 overwhelmingly and pre-dominatingly civil flavour stand on a 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, the High Court may quash criminal proceedings if in its view, because of the compromise between the offender and the victim, the possibility of conviction is remote and bleak and continuation of the criminal case would put the 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 the

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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 the affirmative, the High Court shall be well within its jurisdiction to quash the criminal proceeding."

Applying the law settled by Hon'ble Supreme Court in plethora

of judgments and this High Court, it is apparent that when the parties have

entered into a compromise, then continuation of the proceedings would be

merely an abuse of process of the Court and by allowing and accepting the

prayer of the petitioners by quashing the FIR would be securing the ends of

justice, which is primarily the object of the legislature enacting under

Section 482 Cr.P.C.

As a result, this Court finds that the case in hand squarely falls

within the ambit and parameters settled by judicial precedents and hence,

FIR No.0056 dated 3.2.2016 under Sections 323, 34, 406, 498-A IPC

registered at Police Station, Saran, District Faridabad and all the subsequent

proceedings arising therefrom are quashed qua the petitioners on the basis

of the compromise. Needless to say that the parties shall remain bound by

the terms and conditions of the compromise and their statements recorded

before the court below.

Petition stands allowed.

                                                  (RAJESH BHARDWAJ)
                                                          JUDGE
29.11.2022
lucky        Whether speaking/reasoned:       Yes/No
             Whether Reportable:              Yes/No




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