High Court of KeralaSingle Judge2018-12-07Petitions allowed; Proceedings in CC No. 209/20...

Sreedevi v. State of Kerala

Case / Petition Number:Crl.MC.No.2568 of 2014 & 8201 of 2018

Case Details & Bench

Court: High Court of Kerala
Hon'ble Judges: Raja Vijayaraghavan V.
Judgment Date: 2018-12-07
Court Decision / Holding: The petitions are allowed; CC No.209 of 2014 and all further proceedings against the petitioners are quashed under Section 482 Cr.P.C.
Final Disposition: Petitions allowed; Proceedings in CC No. 209/2014 quashed; accused persons discharged from further criminal process in this matter.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

RAMACHANDRAN NAIR G., THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
GIRIJA KUMARI P, W/O RAMACHANDRAN NAIR S, THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
HARIKUMAR R., S/O.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR.G, THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
JAYAKUMAR, MEMBER OF CHETTIKULANGARA GRAMA PANCHAYATH WARD-15, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
NARAYANAN K, EDAKKATTU HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
CHANDRAN PILLAI, KOCHEYYATHU HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH,CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
RAMACHANDRAN PILLI, KOCHUMUDUVANPUZHATHU, KAITHA SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
SASI P, MANGALASSERI KIZHAKKATHIL, KAITHA SOUTH, KANNAMANGALAM VILLAGE, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
RADHAKRISHNAN V., MUTHIRATHARAYIL, KAITHA SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.
SIVAN, S/O.KRISHNAN, KALLISSERIL, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.

Respondents

SREEDEVI, W/O.KARUNAKARAN, THAMARAPPALLIPADEETTATHIL, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, KANNAMANGALAM VILLAGE, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., MAVELIKKARA, ALAPPUZHA -690106.
STATE OF KERALA, represented by the Public Prosecutor, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, KOCHI - 682031.

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

• Sri. T. R. Harikumar
• Sri. Adithya Rajeev

Counsels for Respondents

• Smt. Asha Elizabeth Mathew
• Sri. I. Sreehari

Case Synopsis & Summary

In a Kerala High Court criminal miscellaneous petitions, the accused/petitioners (11 in total in CC No.209/2014) moved under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to quash proceedings arising from Crime No.448/2009, before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Mavelikkara. The offences alleged include trespass, criminal trespass, mischief and related offences under IPC Sections 143, 147, 447 and 427 read with Section 149. The first respondent is the de facto complainant, Sree Devi; the State is represented by the Public Prosecutor. The petitions were grounded on the contention that the disputes with the complainant are personal, and the parties have amicably resolved them; the 1st respondent stated she has no subsisting grievance. The Public Prosecutor supported this stance. The High Court relied on Gian Singh v. State of Punjab (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh v. State of Punjab (2014) 6 SCC 466 to recognize that, in appropriate cases, amicable settlements between victim and wrongdoer can justify quashing under Section 482 Cr.P.C. The Court observed the offences are not grave and do not impact public peace, and that continuing prosecution would be a waste of time with bleak prospects of conviction. Consequently, the petitions were allowed and proceedings quashed, promoting peace and ends of justice.

Provisions of Law Cited

Section 482 Cr.P.C.Sections 143, 147, 447 and 427 read with Section 149 of the IPC

Legal Doctrines & Maxims

Ends of justice
Amicable resolution of disputes can justify quashing of criminal proceedings under Section 482 Cr.P.C.

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The applicants contended that the disputes with the complainant are private and have been resolved amicably. They submitted that the incidence of 29.08.2009 is not grave and would not affect public peace. The parties further argued that continuation of prosecution would be a needless waste of time given the lack of subsisting grievance and the bleak prospects of conviction; invoking the High Court's powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C would serve the ends of justice by bringing peace and harmony between the parties.

Contentions of Respondents

The respondents (State) argued, through the Public Prosecutor, that the 1st respondent has stated there is no subsisting grievance and that the matter is one of private dispute; the court should consider whether quashing is appropriate. Citing the settled principle from Gian Singh and Narinder Singh, the respondents acknowledged that the amicable settlement may influence the course of proceedings, but emphasized the need to ensure that quashing does not permit grave or public-order compromising offences to go unaddressed.

Cited Precedents (2)

Case Name	Citation	Treatment	Explanation
Gian Singh v. State of Punjab	(2012) 10 SCC 303	Positive	Apex Court held that, in appropriate cases, High Courts can quash criminal proceedings under Section 482 Cr.P.C. in light of an amicable settlement between victim and offender.
Narinder Singh v. State of Punjab	(2014) 6 SCC 466	Positive	Apex Court reaffirmed the principle that amicable settlements can justify quashing criminal proceedings in suitable cases.

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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 RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V** **FRIDAY, THE 07TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2018 / 16TH AGRAHAYANA, 1940** ## **Crl.MC.No. 2568 of 2014** **IN CC NO.209/2014 ON THE FILES OF J.M.F.C.-I, MAVELIKKARA CRIME NO. 448/2009 OF MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION, ALAPPUZHA** ## **PETITIONERS/ACCUSED 1 TO 3 AND 5 TO 11:** - **1 RAMACHANDRAN NAIR G., THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **2 GIRIJA KUMARI.P, W/O.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR S, THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE,KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **3 HARIKUMAR R., S/O.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR.G, THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **4 JAYAKUMAR, MEMBER OF CHETTIKULANGARA GRAMA PANCHAYATH WARD-15, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **5 NARAYANAN K, EDAKKATTU HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **6 CHANDRAN PILLAI, KOCHEYYATHU HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH,CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **7 RAMACHANDRAN PILLAI, KOCHUMUDUVANPUZHATHU, KAITHA SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** - **8 SASI P, MANGALASSERI KIZHAKKATHIL, KAITHA SOUTH, KANNAMANGALAM VILLAGE, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.** Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 2 |**9**|**RADHAKRISHNAN V.,**| |---|---| ||**MUTHIRATHARAYIL, KAITHA SOUTH,**| ||**CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.**| |**10**|**SIVAN,**| ||**S/O.KRISHNAN, KALLISSERIL, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH,**| ||**CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., ALAPPUZHA - 690 106.**| ||**BY ADV. SRI.T.R.HARIKUMAR**| ## **RESPONDENTS/PETITIONER/COMPLAINANT & STATE:** |**1**|**SREEDEVI, W/O.KARUNAKARAN,**| |---|---| ||**THAMARAPPALLIPADEETTATHIL,KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH,**| ||**KANNAMANGALAM VILLAGE,CHETTIKULANGARA P.O.,**| ||**MAVELIKKARA, ALAPPUZHA -690 106.**| |**2**|**STATE OF KERALA**| ||**REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,**| ||**HIGH COURT OF KERALA, KOCHI - 682 031.**| ||**BY ADV. SMT.ASHA ELIZABETH MATHEW**| ## **OTHER PRESENT:** **PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SRI. C. K. PRASAD** **THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 07.12.2018, ALONG WITH Crl.MC.8201/2018, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:** Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 3 **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** **THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V FRIDAY, THE 07TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2018 / 16TH AGRAHAYANA, 1940** **Crl.MC.No. 8201 of 2018** **IN CC NO.209/2014 ON THE FILES OF J.M.F.C.-I, MAVELIKKARA CRIME NO. 448/2009 OF MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION, ALAPPUZHA** ## **PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.4:** **JAYALAL P.V., AGED 44 YEARS, S/O.VASUDEVAN PILLAI, THAMARAPPALLIL HOUSE, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., MAVELIKARA, ALAPPUZHA- 690106.** **BY ADVS. SRI.T.R.HARIKUMAR SRI.ADITHYA RAJEEV** ## **- RESPONDENTS/ DE FACTO COMPLAINANT & STATE:** **1 SREEDEVI, W/O.KARUNAKARAN, THAMARAPPALLIPADEETTATHIL, KANNAMANGALAM SOUTH, KANNAMANGALAM VILLAGE, CHETTIKULANGARA P.O., MAVELIKKARA, ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT- 690106. 2 STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, KOCHI- 682031. BY ADV. SRI.I.SREEHARI** **THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 07.12.2018, ALONG WITH Crl.MC.2568/2014, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:** Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 4 ## **ORDER** Accused Nos.1 to 11 in C.C. No.209 of 2014 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Mavelikkara are the petitioners in these petitions filed under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. They are been proceeded against for having committed offences punishable under Sections 143, 147, 447 and 427 r/w. Section 149 of the IPC. The 1[st] respondent herein is the de facto complainant. 2. The allegation is that on 29.08.2009 at about 10 a.m., the petitioners herein trespassed into the property of the 1[st] respondent and after abusing her, cut down certain trees and caused loss to the tune of Rs.50,000/-. 3. I have heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners, the party respondent and the learned Public Prosecutor. It is submitted that the entire disputes between the parties have been amicably resolved. Attention of this Court is invited to the affidavit filed by the 1[st] respondent to buttress his submission. It is urged that the dispute is purely personal in nature and would not Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 5 affect public peace or tranquility. Summing up, it is prayed that the criminal proceedings be terminated to promote peace and harmony. 4. The learned Public Prosecutor, on instructions, submitted that the statement of the 1[st] respondent has been recorded and she has stated in clear terms that she has no subsisting grievance. 5. I have considered the submissions advanced. 6. In **Gian Singh v. State of Punjab** [(2012) 10 SCC 303] and in **Narinder Singh v. State of Punjab** [(2014) 6 SCC 466], the Apex Court has laid down that in appropriate cases, the High Court can take note of the amicable resolution of disputes between the victim and the wrongdoer to put an end to the criminal proceedings. 7. The offence committed by the petitioners cannot be said to be grave and serious having ingredients of extreme mental depravity. It also does not appear that the offence in this case will have a serious impact on the society. It is felt that quashing of proceedings on account of compromise would bring about peace and Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 6 secure the ends of justice. Even otherwise, persisting with the prosecution would be nothing but a waste of time as the prospects of conviction is bleak. Having considered all the relevant circumstances, I am of the considered view that this Court will be well justified in invoking its extraordinary powers under Section 482 of the Code to quash the proceedings. In the result, these petitions will stand allowed. C.C.No.209 of 2014 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I, Mavelikkara and all further proceedings pursuant thereto against the petitioners are quashed. ## **SD/-** **RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V., JUDGE** KRJ //TRUE COPY// P.A. TO JUDGE Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 7 ## **APPENDIX OF Crl.MC 2568/2014** ## **PETITIONER'S/S EXHIBITS:** |**ANNEXURE P1**|**ANNEXURE-I: COPY OF THE COMPLAINT FILED**| |---|---| ||**BY THE FIRST RESPONDENT BEFORE THE**| ||**JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT -**| ||**I, MAVELIKKARA DATED 1.10.2009.**| |**ANNEXURE P2**|**ANNEXURE-II: COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT**| ||**DATED 20.11.2009 IN CRIME NO.448 OF 2009**| ||**OF THE MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION.**| |**ANNEXURE P3**|**ANNEXURE-III: COPY OF THE ORDER DATED**| ||**13.12.2010 IN CRIME NO.448 OF 2009 OF THE**| ||**JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT -**| ||**I, MAVELIKKARA.**| |**ANNEXURE P4**|**ANNEXURE-IV: COPY OF THE NOTICE ISSUED BY**| ||**THE CHETTIKULANGARA GRAMA PANCHAYATH**| ||**DATED 19.8.2009**| |**ANNEXURE P5**|**ANNEXURE-V: COPY OF THE LETTER DATED**| ||**26.8.2009 ISSUED BY THE CIRCLE INSPECTOR**| ||**OF POLICE, MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION.**| |**ANNEXURE P6**|**ANNEXURE-VI: COPY OF THE LETTER**| ||**NO.1760/09 K.C DATED 28.8.2009 ISSUED BY**| ||**THE CIRCLE INSPECTOR OF POLICE,**| ||**MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION.**| |**ANNEXURE P7**|**ANNEXURE-VII: COPY OF THE JUDGEMENT DATED**| ||**1.2.2011 IN CRL.R.P NO.339 OF 2011**| |**ANNEXURE P8**|**ANNEXURE-VIII: COPY OF THE JUDGEMENT**| ||**DATED 28.1.2011 IN O.S.NO.181 OF 2009 OF**| ||**THE MUNSIFF COURT, MAVELIKKARA.**| |**ANNEXURE P9**|**ANNEXURE-IX: COPY OF THE ORDER DATED**| ||**20.2.2014 OF THE JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS**| ||**MAGISTRATE COURT - I, MAVELIKKARA IN**| ||**C.M.P NO.5871 OF 2009 IN CRIME NO.449 OF**| ||**2009 OF THE MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION.**| |**ANNEXURE P10**|**ANNEXURE-X: COPY OF THE SUMMONS IN C.C.**| ||**209 OF 2014 RECEIVED BY THE 10TH**| ||**PETITIONER.**| Crl.MC:2568/2014 & 8201/2018 8 ## **APPENDIX OF Crl.MC 8201/2018** **PETITIONER'S/S EXHIBITS:** ## **ANNEXURE I** **A TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT FILED BY THE 1ST RESPONDENT BEFORE THE JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT-I, MAVELIKARA DATED 01.10.2009.** ## **ANNEXURE II** **CERTIFIED COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT DATED 20.11.2009 IN CRIME NO.448 OF 2009 OF THE MAVELIKARE POLICE STATION.** ## **ANNEXURE III** **A TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER DATED 13.12.2010 IN CRIME NO.448 OF 2009 OF THE JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE'S COURT-I, MAVELIKKARA.** ## **ANNEXURE IV** **A TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGMENT DATED 01.02.2011 IN CRL.R.P.NO.339 OF 2011.** ## **ANNEXURE V** **A TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER DATED 20.02.2014 OF THE JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT-I, MAVELIKARA IN C.M.P.NO.5871 OF 2009 IN CRIME NO.448 OF 2009 OF THE MAVELIKKARA POLICE STATION.** **ANNEXURE VI** **A TRUE COPY OF THE AFFIDAVIT SWORN BY THE 1ST RESPONDENT DATED 27.11.2018.**