Binu v. Jeena and State of Kerala

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT:** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V.K.MOHANAN** **MONDAY, THE 18TH DAY OF AUGUST 2014/27TH SRAVANA, 1936** ## **Crl.MC.No. 4028 of 2014 ()** **--------------------------CC.NO.2579/2014 OF JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT-II,THRISSUR CRIME NO. 788/2014 OF NEDUPUZHA POLICE STATION ,THRISSUR DISTRICT ------------------------** ## **PETITIONER/ACCUSED:** **-----------------------------------------** **BINU, AGED 25 YEARS, W/O. PRADEEP, CHIRIYANKANDATH HOUSE, KAIRALI PALAM DESOM, ANCHERI, KURIYACHIRA P.O., THRISSUR DISTRICT.** ## **BY ADV. SRI.V.BINOY RAM** ## **RESPONDENTS/COMPLAINANT/DEFCACTO COMPLAINANT:** **-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** **1. JEENA, AGED 24 YEARS,D/O. JOSEPH, ARAKKAL HOUSE, THAIKKATTUSSERY DESOM, EDAKKUNNY VILLAGE, THRISSUR TALUK, DISTRICT.** ## **2. STATE OF KERALA,** - **REP. BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM.** **R2 BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SMT. BINDU GOPINATH** **THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 18-08-2014, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:** **sts** **Crl.MC.No. 4028 of 2014 () ---------------------------------------** ## **APPENDIX** **PETITIONER(S)' ANNEXURES: ----------------------------------------------** **ANNEX I- TRUE COPY OF THE F.I.R. IN CR.NO. 788/2014 OF NEDUPUZHA POLICE STATION NOW ON THE FILE OF JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT NO. II, THRISSUR AS C.C. 2579/2014. ANNEX 2- TRUE COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT IN CR.NO. 788/2014 OF NEDUPUZHA POLICE STATION NOW ON THE FILE OF JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT NO. II, THRISSUR AS C.C. 2579/2014. ANNEX 3- TRUE COPY OF THE AFFIDAVIT SWORN BY THE 1ST RESPONDENT.** **RESPONDENT(S)' ANNEXURES: NIL** ## **/TRUE COPY/** ## **P.A.TO.JUDGE** **sts** ## **V.K.MOHANAN, J. ------------------------------Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** **------------------------------Dated this the 18[th] day of August, 2014.** ## **O R D E R** The above petition is filed under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code (for short 'Cr.P.C.') at the instance of the petitioner, who is the accused in C.C.No.2579 of 2014 of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II, Thrissur, which is a case instituted upon the police report [in Crime No.788 of 2014 of Nedupuzha Police Station] for the offences punishable under Sections 461 and 380 of I.P.C. with a prayer to quash Annexures 1 and 2 FIR and final report in the above crime, as the matter is settled out of court. 2. The allegation in the above case is that while the accused and the de facto complainant was working at Sun Medical Research, Sakthan Nagar, Thrissur as staff nurse, on 19.5.2014 the complainant changed her dress in the **Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** 2 dressing room and kept her gold bangle in her bag in the shelf and locked the shelf and later when she opened the bag for taking food, she found that the bangle is missing and in connection with this incident, the petitioner was arrested in the above crime. Now, the case of the petitioner is that the matter is settled out of court. 3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the 1[st] respondent. I have also heard the learned Public Prosecutor. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that during the pendency of the above case, the matter is settled amicably between the parties to the dispute, as per Annexure 3 affidavit. Therefore, the continuation of the proceedings in the above case is abuse of process of law and proceedings. 5. The learned counsel for the 1[st] respondent who on the basis of specific instruction received from the respondents submitted that the above respondent, who is the de facto complainant, does not intend to proceed any **Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** 3 further against the petitioner and she has no grievance against the petitioner. 6. I have carefully considered the above submissions of the respective counsel. I have verified the documents and materials produced along with the above petition. In the given facts and circumstances of the case and especially in the light of the settlement arrived between the parties to the dispute, the learned Public Prosecutor has also no objection in allowing the above petition. 7. Having regard to the facts and circumstances involved in the case, it can be seen that the offences involved in the above case are only under Sections 461 and 380 of I.P.C. which are more or less personal in nature and no public interest is involved. It is pertinent to note that though such offences are involved, the real parties to the dispute approached this Court after having amicably settled the matter. From the submission made by the counsel for the 1[st] respondent, it appears to me that the de facto complainant has no further grievance against the **Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** 4 petitioner/accused in the light of the settlement arrived by them. At this juncture, it is relevant to note the decision of the Honourable Apex Court reported in **Gian Singh** v. **State of Punjab** [2012(4) KLT 108(SC)]. In Gian Singh's case, the Supreme Court has held as follows:- “57. 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, mercandile, 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 **Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** 5 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........” According to me, in the light of the facts and circumstances involved in the present case and particularly in view of the settlement arrived in the present case, the dictum laid in the above decision is applicable in the present case. According to me, as the parties to the dispute settled the issues amicably, it is the duty of this Court to promote and encourage such settlement, instead of compelling the parties to go on with the dispute. It is pertinent to note that since the matter is settled out of court, in the event of proceeding with the trial, there would not have any fruitful prosecution resulting the conviction of the accused, rather the net result would be sheer waste of judicial time and abuse of process of the court and proceedings. Thus, according to me, following the decision cited supra, this 6 ## **Crl.M.C.No.4028 of 2014** Criminal M.C. can be allowed granting the relief as sought for. In the result, this Crl.M.C. is allowed, quashing Annexures 1 and 2 FIR and final report in Crime No.788 of 2014 of Nedupuzha Police Station and all further proceedings pending against the petitioner in C.C.No.2579 of 2014 of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II, Thrissur. Sd/- **V.K.MOHANAN, Judge.** ami/ //True copy// P.A.to Judge