Sarath S. v. State of Kerala

# **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** **THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN** **FRIDAY, THE 1[ST] DAY OF DECEMBER 2023 / 10TH AGRAHAYANA, 1945** ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** ## **CRIME NO.259/2022 OF RANNI POLICE STATION, PATHANAMTHITTA. PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.4:** **SARATH S., AGED 34 YEARS, S/O. SASIDHARAN NAIR, VECHUTHUNDYIL HOUSE, MAKKAPPUZHA, CHETTAKKAL P.O., RANNI-PAZHAVANGADI VILLAGE, RANNY TALUK, PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, PIN-689 677.** **BY ADVS. V.SETHUNATH V.R.MANORANJAN (MUVATTUPUZHA) SREEGANESH U. LAKSHMINARAYAN.R** ## **RESPONDENTS/STATE/DEFACTO COMPLAINANT:** - **1 STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN-682 031.** - **2 THE SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE, RANNI POLICE STATION, PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, PIN-689 672.** **3 SARAMMA SAJI, AGED 48 YEARS, W/O. SAJI GEORGE, PULIMOOTTIL HOUSE, PODIPPARA, CHETHACKAL P.O., RANNI TALUK, PATHANAMTHITTA, PIN-689 677.** - **R1&R2 SRI. M.P. PRASANTH, PUBLIC PROSECUTOR R3 SRI. THOMAS ABRAHAM** **THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 01.12.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:** -2- **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** **P.V. KUNHIKRISHNAN, J. ------------------------------------------------------Crl. M.C. No.9724 of 2023 ------------------------------------------------------Dated this the 1[st ] day of December, 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. The petitioner is the accused in Crime No.259/2022 of Ranni Police Station, Pathanamthitta. The above case is registered alleging offences punishable under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 447 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. 3. The prosecution case is that the accused formed themselves into an unlawful assembly and committed mischief. 4. The victim is ready to settle the matter only with the petitioner herein. Such a settlement is possible in the light of the judgment of this Court in **Sajeev v. State of Kerala [2022(2) KLT 861]** . -3- ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** 5. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the parties in this case have settled their dispute and do not wish to pursue the prosecution proceedings. The counsel relies on the affidavit filed by the victim in support of his contention. The counsel appearing for the victim also submitted that the matter is settled and the victim has no objection in quashing the prosecution. 6. The learned 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. 7. This Court has considered the submission of the petitioner, victim and the Public Prosecutor and has also gone through the records including the affidavit filed by the victim. 8. In **State of Madhya Pradesh v. Laxmi Narayan and Others (2019 (5) SCC 688),** three judge bench of the Hon'ble Supreme Court has summarized the situation in which non compoundable offences can be quashed invoking -4- ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** 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. -5- ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** 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 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 -6- ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** 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 victim and the offender, the High Court is required to consider the antecedents of the accused; the conduct of the accused, -7- ## **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** namely, whether the accused was absconding and why he was absconding, how he had managed with the complainant to enter into a compromise etc.” 9. 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 in Crime No.259/2022 of Ranni Police Station, Pathanamthitta, as against the petitioner alone is quashed. Sd/- **P.V. KUNHIKRISHNAN JUDGE** bpr -8- **CRL.M.C. NO.9724 OF 2023** ## **APPENDIX OF CRL.MC 9724/2023** ## **PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES** **AnnexureA 1 THE TRUE COPY OF THE F.I.R IN CRIME NO. 259/2021 OF RANNI POLICE STATION** **Annexure A2 NOTARISED AFFIDAVIT FILED BY THE 3RD RESPONDENT DATED 13-11-2023 Annexure A3 TRUE COPY OF THE OFFER LETTER ISSUED BY THE PENTACARE SERVICE LTD.U.K DATED 28-09-2023 Annexure A4 THE TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGMENT OF THIS COURT IN W.P(CRL) NO. 1066/2023 DATED 1-11-2023**