The above captioned Criminal Miscellaneous Case (Crl.M.C) has been filed with the prayer to quash the impugned Annexure-
1 Final Report/Charge Sheet in Crime No.667/2013 of Kumbala Police Station, Kasaragod District which has led to the institution of C.C.No.432/2014 on the file of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kasaragod and all further proceedings arising therefrom. Petitioners 1 & 2 are accused Nos.3 & 4 and the 3rd petitioner is the defacto complainant in the above impugned criminal proceedings. Crime No.667/2013 of Kumbala Police Station was registered for offences under Sections 498A, 323, 324 294(b) r/w 34 IPC at the instance of the 3rd petitioner herein (defacto complainant). After investigation police has submitted the impugned Annexure-1 Final Report/Charge Sheet pertaining to the above said Crime. After taking cognisance, C.C.No.432/2014 was instituted on the file of the chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kasaragod for the aforementioned offences. The gist of the prosecution allegation against the accused is that after the marriage between the 1st accused and 3rd petitioner herein the accused persons had demanded more gold and dowry from the defacto complainant and threatened that is she did not do so she will be divorced and that the 3rd and 4th accused had abused the defacto complainant and caused her hurt and had assaulted her and that the accused have committed the above said offences. It is averred that during the pendency of the impugned criminal proceedings all the matrimonial disputes between the accused Nos.1 to 4 and the 3rd petitioner have been settled and Annexure-2 agreement dated 16.4.2014 has been entered into between the parties. It is stated that Annexure-2 agreement was entered into between the 3rd accused for and on behalf of his son, 1st accused and the 3rd petitioner, whereby a letter of divorce pronouncing Talak was accepted by the 3rd petitioner and the gold ornaments and also an amount of Rs.3,50,000/- in cash were given to her to the full satisfaction of all her claims. It is specifically stipulated in Annexure-2 agreement that after payment of aforesaid monetary compensation steps will be take for quashing the impugned criminal proceedings by approaching this Court. It is stated that thereafter, the gold ornaments and amount of Rs.3,50,000/- in cash have been given to the 3rd petitioner in full satisfaction of all her claims as stated above and that the accused No.1 could not sign the agreement as he is working abroad and that as per the said compromise the 3rd petitioner has admitted that the entire disputes have been settled and that she will co-operate with for quashing the impugned criminal proceedings etc. That accused Nos.1 & 2 are now in Gulf and Annexure-2 agreement is executed by the 3rd accused for and on behalf of his son (1st accused) etc. It is in the background of these facts and circumstances, this Crl.M.C has been instituted.
2. The Crl.M.C. has been admitted and the learned Public Prosecutor has taken notice for the respondent-State of Kerala.
3. Heard Sri.K.V.Sohan, learned counsel for the petitioners (including the defacto complainant-3rd petitioner) and the learned Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-State of Kerala.
4. The learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that during the pendency of the aforementioned criminal proceedings, the matter has been settled amicably between the parties, and that the continuation of the proceedings in the above case/crime will cause miscarriage of justice to both parties as the real disputants to the controversy have arrived at an amicable settlement and any further continuation of the criminal proceedings will amount to sheer wastage of time and money and would unnecessarily strain the judicial, administrative and financial resources of the State.
5. Sri.K.V.Sohan, learned counsel appearing for the defacto complainant-3rd petitioner has submitted, on the basis of the specific instructions furnished by the 3rd petitioner, that the 3rd petitioner has amicably settled the disputes with the accused as stated above and that she has no objection in the quashment of the impugned criminal proceedings and that the complainant/victim/injured does not intend to proceed any further against the accused as she has no grievance against them and that she will not raise any dispute/complaint in future if the prayer for quashing the impugned criminal proceedings is allowed.
6. The learned Public Prosecutor also was heard, who also has not raised any serious objections and submitted that the court may consider the prayer in this case in the light of the law well settled by the Apex Court in that regard.
7. After having carefully considered the submissions of the parties and after having perused the pleadings as well as the documents and materials placed in this matter, it can be seen that the offences alleged are more or less personal in nature and not much element of public interest is involved. The crucial aspect of the matter is that though such offences are involved, the real disputants to the controversy, which has led to the impugned criminal proceedings, have actually arrived at an amicable settlement of the matter. From the submissions made by the learned counsel for the 3rd petitioner, it is clear to the Court that the injured/victim/defacto complainant has no further grievance against the accused in the light of the settlement arrived at by them. In this connection, it is relevant to note the decision of the Apex Court in the case between Gian Singh v. State of Punjab reported in 2013 (1) SCC (Cri) 160, para 61 = (2012) 10 SCC 303 = 2012(4) KLT 108(SC), wherein the Supreme Court has held as follows in para 61 thereof [ See SCC (Cri)]:
“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 S.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..
It is further held as follows:-
“......... But the criminal cases having 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 ”
Further, in the case Jitendra Raghuvanshi and Others v. Babita Raghuvanshi and another reported in (2013) 4 SCC 58 [see 2013 (1) KLD 817 (SC)], the Apex Court has held as follows:-
“8. It is not in dispute that matrimonial disputes have been on considerable increase in recent times resulting in filing of complaints under Sections 498A and 406 of I.P.C. not only against the husband but also against the relatives of the husband. The question is when such matters are resolved either by the wife agreeing to rejoin the matrimonial home or by mutual settlement of other pending disputes for which both the sides approached the High Court and jointly prayed for quashing of the criminal proceedings or the FIR or complaint by the wife under Sections 498A and 406 of I.P.C., whether the prayer can be declined on the sole ground that since the offences are non-compoundable under Section 320 of the Code, it would be impermissible for the court to quash the criminal proceedings or FIR or complaint.
9. It is not in dispute that in the case on hand subsequent to the filing of the criminal complaint under Sections 498A and 406 of IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, with the help and intervention of family members, friends and well- wishers, the parties concerned have amicably settled their differences and executed a compromise/ settlement. Pursuant thereto, the appellants filed the said compromise before the Trial Court with a request to place the same on record and to drop the criminal proceedings against the appellants herein. It is also not in dispute that in additional to the mutual settlement arrived at by the parties, respondent/-wife has also filed an affidavit stating that she did not wish to pursue the criminal proceedings against the appellants and fully supported the contents of the settlement deed. It is the grievance of the appellants that no only the Trial Court rejected such prayer of the parties but also the High Court failed toe exercise its jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Code only on the ground that the criminal proceedings relate to the offences punishable under Sections 498A and 406 of IPC which are non-compoundable in nature.
15. In our view, it is the duty of the Courts to encourage genuine settlements of matrimonial disputes, particularly, when the same are on considerable increase. Even if the offences are non- compoundable, if they relate to matrimonial disputes and the Court is satisfied that the parties have settled the same amicably and without any pressure, we hold that for the purpose of securing ends of justice, Section 320 of the Code would not be a bar to the exercise of power of quashing of FIR, complaint or the subsequent criminal proceedings.
16. There has been an outburst of matrimonial disputes in recent times. The institution of marriage occupies an important place and it has an important role to play in the society. Therefore, every effort should be made in the interest of the individuals in order to enable them to settle down in life and live peacefully. If the parties ponder over their defaults and terminate their disputes amicably by mutual agreement instead of fighting it out in a Court of law, in order to do complete justice in the matrimonial matters, the Courts should be less hesitant in exercising its extraordinary jurisdiction. It is trite to state that the power under Section 482 should be exercised sparingly and with circumspection only when the Court is convinced, on the basis of material on record, that allowing the proceedings to continue would be an abuse of the process of the Court or that the ends of justice require that the proceedings ought to be quashed.”
8. Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, it is seen further that the impugned criminal proceedings have arisen consequent to the matrimonial disputes between the disputants and the disputes have been settled amicably between the parties. Accordingly, this Court is inclined to hold that in the light of the facts and circumstances involved in the present case and particularly in view of the settlement arrived at between the parties, the principles laid down in the aforementioned decisions of the Apex Court will be squarely applicable in the present case. Moreover, since the real disputants to the controversy have amicably settled the disputes, which led to these impugned criminal proceedings, it is also the duty of the court to promote such settlement, instead of compelling the parties to go on with the dispute. It is also pertinent to note that since the matter is settled out of court, in the event of proceeding with the trial, there may not be any fruitful prosecution and the chances of conviction of the accused is rather negligible and therefore, the net result of continuance of criminal proceedings would be sheer waste of judicial time rather meaningless and therefore would amount to abuse of the process of court proceedings in the larger sense. Hence following decisions of the Apex Court cited supra, this Court is inclined to hold that the Crl.M.C. can be allowed by granting the prayers sought for.
In the result, Crl.M.C is allowed and the impugned Annexure-1 Final Report/Charge Sheet in Crime No.667/2013 of Kumbala Police Station, which has led to the institution of C.C.No.432/2014 on the file of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kasaragod and all further proceedings arising therefrom as against all the accused persons concerned shall stand quashed. Petitioners 1 & 2 shall produce certified copies of this order before the Magistrate Court concerned as well as before the Station House Officer concerned.
bkn/-
ALEXANDER THOMAS, Judge.