Akshay Paul @ Akshay C P, John Paul, Anson Antony, Manu Antony, Kiran P R and Sebastian Alvin v. State of Kerala and Vishnu Prasad and Rahul C

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN WEDNESDAY, THE 22[ND] DAY OF NOVEMBER 2023 / 1ST AGRAHAYANA, 1945 CRL.MC NO. 9299 OF 2023** ## **CRIME NO.496/2023 OF Varappuzha Police Station, Ernakulam** ## **- PETITIONER(S)/ACCUSED NO 1 6:** 1 AKSHAY PAUL @ AKSHAY C P AGED 27 YEARS S/O PAUL, CHULLIKADU HOUSE THEVARKAD VARAPUZHA PANCHAYATH VARAPUZHA P.O VARAPUZHA VILLAGE , PARAVOOR THALUK, PIN - 683517 2 JOHN PAUL AGED 38 YEARS S/O JOHN, KURISHINGAL HOUSE KOTTUVALLY , KAITHARAM P.O KOTTUVALLY VILLAGE , PARAVOOR THALUK, PIN - 683519 3 ANSON ANTONY AGED 36 YEARS S/O K I ANTHAPPAN , KURISHINGAL HOUSE KOTTUVALLY , KAITHARAM P.O KOTTUVALLY VILLAGE, PARAVOOR THALUK, PIN - 683519 4 MANU ANTONY AGED 30 YEARS S/O CHARLEY M.V MALIYEKKAL HOUSE THEVARKAD VARAPUZHA P.O PARAVOOR TALUK, PIN - 683517 5 KIRAN P R AGED 25 YEARS S/O RENJU PADANNEL PRAMBU HOUSE KOTTUVALLY , KAITHARAM P.O KOTTUVALLY VILLAGE PARAVOOR TALUK, PIN - 683519 6 SEBASTIAN ALVIN AGED 24 YEARS S/O ANTONY KALLOOR HOUSE KOTTUVALLY P.O KAITHARAM PARAVOOR TALUK ERNAKULAM, PIN - 683519 BY ADV C.J.VARGHESE VINU ## **RESPONDENT(S)/COMPLAINANT & DE FACTO COMPLAINANT (CW1) & CW2:** 1 STATE OF KERALA Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 2 REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF KERALA (ON BEHALF OF THE SHO OF POLICE, VARAPUZHA POLICE STATION ), PIN - 682031 2 VISHNU PRASAD AGED 26 YEARS S/O CHANDRAN POZHALIPARAMBIL HOUSE MUKUNDAPURAM TALUK P.O THURAVU VILLAGE KANJOOR DESOM THRISSUR PIN 680301, PIN - 680301 3 RAHUL C AGED 27 YEARS S/O CHANDRAN AGED 27 YEARS POZHALIPARAMBIL HOUSE MUKUNDAPURAM TALUK P.O THURAVU VILLAGE KANJOOR DESOM THRISSUR, PIN 680301. BY ADVS. SRI.SREEJA V., PP SRI.SHARON D PANACKAL THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 22.11.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING: KAL Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 3 ## **P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J.** **------------------------------** ## **Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023** **---------------------------------------------Dated this the 22[nd] day of November, 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. Petitioners are the accused in Crime No.496/2023 of Varappuzha Police Station. The above case is registered against the petitioners alleging offences punishable under Sections 143, 147, 341, 323, 325 r/w 149 IPC. 3. The prosecution case is that the accused formed themselves into an unlawful assembly and assaulted the victim and the victim sustained grievous hurt. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the parties have settled their dispute and do not wish Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 4 to pursue the prosecution proceedings. The counsel relies on the affidavits filed by the victims in support of his contention. The counsel appearing for the victims also submitted that the matter is settled and the victims have no objection in quashing the prosecution. 5. The learned Public Prosecutor submitted that the 2[nd] petitioner has got criminal antecedents and he is involved in another case also. The 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 petitioners, victims and the Public Prosecutor and has also gone through the records including the affidavits filed by the victims. 7. In **State of Madhya Pradesh v Laxmi Narayan** **and Others (2019 (5) SCC 688),** three judge bench of Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 5 the Hon'ble Supreme Court has summarized the situation in which non compoundable offences can be quashed invoking 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. 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_ Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 6 _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 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 noncompoundable 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_ Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 7 _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, 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 against the petitioners in Crime No.496/2023 of Varappuzha Police Station are quashed. Sd/- DM **P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN JUDGE** Crl.M.C.No.9299 of 2023 8 ## **APPENDIX OF CRL.MC 9299/2023** PETITIONER ANNEXURES ANNEXURE A1 ANNEXURE A1:- CERTIFIED COPY OF FIR AND FIS OF CRIME NO 496/2023 OF VARAPUZHA POLICE STATION ANNEXURE A2 ANNEXURE A2 :- AFFIDAVIT SWORN BY 2ND RESPONDENT ANNEXURE A3 ANNEXURE A3 :- AFFIDAVIT SWORN BY 3RD RESPONDENT RESPONDENTS EXHIBITS : NIL //TRUE COPY// PA TO JUDGE