High Court of KeralaSingle JudgeAllowed; final report and all further proceedin...

RAMESAN @ K.V.RAMESH v. THE STATE OF KERALA and Others

Case / Petition Number:Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court of Kerala
Hon'ble Judges
  • V.K. Mohanan
Judgment Date
2013-06-26
Court Decision / Holding
Crl.M.C. is allowed; quashing Annexure A2 final report and all further proceedings pursuant to Crime No.96/2009 of Hosdurg Police Station (S.C.No.310/2010, Kasaragod).
Final Disposition
Allowed; final report and all further proceedings in Crime No.96/2009 (S.C.No.310/2010) are quashed.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • RAMESAN @ K.V.RAMESH

Respondents

  • The State of Kerala
  • K.V. Shaji
  • E.V. Rajesh

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • Sri. T. Madhu

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Smt. S. Hyma
  • • Sri. Bindumol Joseph

Case Synopsis & Summary

This is a Kerala High Court Criminal Miscellaneous Case (Crl.M.C. No.1654/2013) filed by the second accused in Crime No.96/2009 of Hosdurg Police Station, now pending as S.C.No.310/2010 before the Principal Sessions Court, Kasaragod. The petition, under section 482 Cr.P.C., seeks to quash the final report and all further proceedings on the ground that the dispute between the parties has been settled out of court. The alleged offences are 143, 147, 148, 323, and 307 read with 149 IPC, arising on 3 February 2009 at Pollakada, Pullur Village, allegedly due to political enmity with two CPI(M) sympathizers who are the de facto complainant and the injured. The petitioner's counsel argues that the matter has been amicably settled and continuing the prosecution would amount to abuse of process and would not serve public interest. The respondents, supported by the Public Prosecutor, state that the de facto complainants no longer wish to proceed and have no grievance, and there is little public interest in the case. The court considers the settlement, the lack of public interest, and cites the Supreme Court Gian Singh decision on the exercise of inherent power to quash where settlement exists and ends of justice require, concluding that quashing is warranted. The order grants the relief sought, quashing Annexure A2 and all further proceedings in the case.

Provisions of Law Cited

Section 482 Cr.P.C.Section 143 IPCSection 147 IPCSection 148 IPCSection 323 IPCSection 307 read with Section 149 IPCSection 149 IPC

Legal Doctrines & Maxims

  • Inherent power of High Court to quash criminal proceedings
  • Ends of justice
  • Prevention of abuse of process of the court
  • Settlement between offender and victim as a factor in quashing
  • Gian Singh guidelines (2012) regarding quashing in cases with settlement

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The second accused submits that the dispute with respondents 2 and 3 has been amicably settled; continuing with the criminal proceedings would amount to abuse of process of law and would not serve any public interest since the offences are personal in nature ( Sections 143, 147, 148, 323, and 307 read with 149 IPC). Citing Gian Singh (SC) the inherent power of the High Court should be exercised to secure ends of justice in light of the settlement, and quashing would promote reconciliation and prevent wastage of judicial time. The petitioner contends there is no meaningful possibility of conviction given the settlement and the private, not public, nature of the dispute.

Contentions of Respondents

Respondents 2 and 3 (de facto complainant and injured) state they do not wish to proceed against the petitioner; they have no grievance. The Public Prosecutor has no objection. The settlement reduces public interest concerns and supports quashing as per Gian Singh’s rationale that when parties settle private disputes, the court may quash to avoid oppression and injustice.

Cited Precedents (1)

Case NameCitationTreatmentExplanation
Gian Singh v. State of Punjab2012(4) KLT 108 (SC)PositiveSupreme Court guidance on the inherent power to quash in cases where settlement exists, emphasizing ends of justice and avoiding abuse of process; informs the Kerala High Court’s exercise to quash here.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT:** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V.K.MOHANAN** ## **WEDNESDAY, THE 26TH DAY OF JUNE 2013/5TH ASHADHA, 1935** ## **Crl.MC.No. 1654 of 2013 ()** **--------------------------SC. NO.310/2010 OF SESSIONS COURT, KASARAGOD. CRIME NO. 96/2009 OF HOSDURG POLICE STATION , KASARAGOD DISTRICT.** **............** ## **PETITIONER/2ND ACCUSED:** **-----------------------------------------** **RAMESAN @ K.V.RAMESH, AGED 29 YEARS, S/O. RAJU, RESIDING AT ANGITTAVALAPPIL HOUSE, POLLAKADA, PULLUR VILLAGE, HOSDURG TALUK, KASARAGOD DISTRICT.** ## **BY ADV. SRI.T.MADHU.** ## **RESPONDENTS/STATE:** **----------------------------------** ## **1. THE STATE OF KERALA,** - **THROUGH THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, HOSDURG POLICE STATION, REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM-682 031.** **2. K.V. SHAJI, AGED 33 YEARS, S/O. P.V. KRISHNAN, RESIDING AT VALIYAVEEDU, POLLAKADA, PULLUR VILLAGE, HOSDURG TALUK, KASARAGOD DISTRICT-671 531.** **3. E.V. RAJESH, AGED 28 YEARS, S/O. NARAYANAN, RESIDING AT ILLATHUVALAPPIL HOUSE, POLLAKADA, PULLUR VILLAGE, HOSDURG TALUK, KASARAGOD DISTRICT-671 531.** **R1 BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SMT.S. HYMA. R2 & R3 BY ADV. SMT.BINDUMOL JOSEPH.** **THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 26-06-2013, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:** **rs.** ## **Crl.MC.No. 1654 of 2013** ## **APPENDIX** ## **PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES:-** **ANX.A1 TRUE CERTIFIED COPY OF THE FIR IN CRIME NO. 96/2009 OF HOSDURG POLICE STATION. ANX.A2 TRUE CERTIFIED COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT IN CRIME NO. 96/2009 OF HOSDURG POLICE STATION. ANX.A3 TRUE CERTIFIED COPY OF THE JUDGMENT DATED 31-10-2012 IN S.C. NO. 310/2010 ON THE FILE OF THE PRINCIPAL SESSIONS COURT, KASARAGOD.** **ANX.A4 THE AFFIDAVIT DATED 11-03-2013 SWORN IN BY THE 2ND RESPONDENT.** **ANX.A5 THE AFFIDAVIT DATED 14-06-2012 SWORN IN BY THE 3RD RESPONDENT.** **RESPONDENT'S ANNEXURES:NIL.** ## **//TRUE COPY//** ## **P.S. TO JUDGE.** **rs.** ## **V.K.MOHANAN, J.** ## **---------------------------------------Crl.M.C.No. 1654 of 2013** **----------------------------------------** Dated this the 26[th] day of June, 2013 ## **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 second accused in Crime No.96 of 2009 of Hosdurg Police Station, which is now pending as S.C.No.310 of 2010 on the file of the Principal Sessions Court, Kasaragod for the offences punishable under Sections 143,147,148,323,307 read with Section 149 of I.P.C. with a prayer to quash Annexure A2 final report and all further proceedings pursuant to it in Crime No.96 of 2009 of Hosdurg Police Station, which is now pending as S.C.No.310 of 2010 on the file of the Principal Session's Court, Kasaragod as the matter is settled out of court. 2. The allegation in the above case is that on 3.2.2009 at about 7 p.m. the accused because of their political enmity towards ## Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-2-: respondents 2 and 3 herein, who are CPI(M) sympathizers, formed themselves into an unlawful assembly with deadly weapons such as sword and assaulted respondents 2 and 3 at Pollakada in Pullur Village and thereby, the accused has committed the above offences. Now, the case of the petitioner is that the matter is settled out of court between the petitioner and respondents 2 and 3. 3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the respondents 2 and 3. 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 which is the subject matter of the above case. Therefore, the continuation of the proceedings in the above case is abuse of process of law and proceedings. 5. The learned counsel for the respondents 2 and 3 who on the basis of specific instruction received from the respondents submitted that the above respondents, who are the de facto Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-3-: complainant and the injured do not intend to proceed any further against the petitioner and he has no grievance against them. 6. I have carefully considered the above submissions of the respective counsel. Annexure A4 is the affidavit sworn by the second respondent and Annexure A5 by the third respondent. 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 Sections 143,147,148,323,307 read with Section 149 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 ## Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-4-: having amicably settled the matter. From the submission made by the counsel for respondents 2 and 3, it appears to me that the de facto complainant and the injured have no further grievance against the petitioner/ accused in the light of the settlement arrived by them. In this juncture, it is relevant to note the decision of the Honourable v. Apex Court reported in **Gian Singh State of Punjab** [2012(4) KLT 108] (SC)] which is squarely applicable in the present case. 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_ Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-5-: _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 predominatingly 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 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 Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-6-: present case. Accord ing 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 the trial proceeded, 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 decisions cited supra, this Criminal M.C. can be allowed granting the relief as sought for. In the result, this Crl.M.C. is allowed, quashing Annexure A2 final report and all further proceedings pursuant to it in Crime No.96 of 2009 of Hosdurg Police Station, which is now pending as S.C.No.310 of 2010 on the file of the Principal Session's Court, Kasaragod. ## **V.K.MOHANAN, Judge** MBS/ Crl.M.C.No.1654 of 2013 :-7-: