Venugopalan K.N. and Viji.E.C. v. State of Kerala and HDFC Bank; Alex K. Ipe and Abdul Salam.M.H. v. State of Kerala and HDFC Bank
Case Details & Bench
- Court
- High Court of Kerala
- Hon'ble Judges
- Ziyad Rahman A.A.
- Judgment Date
- 2022-07-06
- Court Decision / Holding
- CRL.MC Nos. 248/2021 and 1110/2021 are allowed. Annexure A2 Final Report in Crime No. 655/2011 of Palarivattom Police Station and all further proceedings in CC No.1150/2017 pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court IX, Ernakulam as against the petitioners are hereby quashed.
- Final Disposition
- CRL.MC Nos. 248/2021 & 1110/2021 allowed; Annexure-A2 Final Report in Crime No. 655/2011 and all further proceedings in C.C.1150/2017 against the petitioners are quashed.
Parties to the Case
Appellants / Petitioners
- Venugopalan K.N.
- Viji.E.C.
- Alex K. Ipe
- Abdul Salam.M.H.
Respondents
- State of Kerala represented by Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala
- Station House Officer, Palarivattom Police Station
- HDFC Bank represented by its Assistant Vice President, P. Ramesh Kumar
Legal Representation & Advocates
Counsels for Petitioners
- • J. Ramkumar
Counsels for Respondents
- • M.A. Joseph Manavalan
- • Seena C – Public Prosecutor
Case Synopsis & Summary
Two criminal miscellaneous petitions (CRL.MC nos. 248 of 2021 and 1110 of 2021) were filed challenging the proceedings in Crime No. 655/2011 of Palarivattom Police Station and connected CC No. 1150/2017 before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court IX, Ernakulam. The petitions, filed by accused nos. 1–2 in the first petition and accused nos. 3 and 5 in the second, allege that the parties have settled their dispute and that the defacto complainant bank has no subsisting grievance. The prosecution alleges that the accused conspired to cheat the bank by fabricating a sale deed and mortgaging it, under IPC sections 406, 420, 468, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 476 and 120(b) read with 34, and the final report has been submitted in Crime No. 655/2011. Annexures A1 and A2 accompany the record, with Annexure A3 sworn by the 3rd respondent stating no objection to quashing. The SHO confirms the veracity of the settlement. The court notes that the dispute is essentially private and that continued prosecution would be unlikely to succeed in view of the settlement. Relying on Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and Another, the court holds that it has jurisdiction under Section 482 CrPC to quash the proceedings. Accordingly, CRL.MC Nos. 248/2021 and 1110/2021 are allowed, quashing the Final Report and all further proceedings in CC No. 1150/2017 against the petitioners.
Provisions of Law Cited
Legal Doctrines & Maxims
- Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and Another (2012(4) KLT 108) – doctrine that private settlements may justify quashing of proceedings under Section 482 CrPC where continuation of prosecution would not serve ends of justice.
- Ends of justice doctrine underpinning quashing due to private settlement and lack of public interest in continuing prosecution.
Submissions & Arguments
Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners
The applicants contended that the dispute is private and has been settled; Annexure A3 shows the defacto complainant’s consent and lack of subsisting grievance, with the SHO confirming the settlement. They urged quashing under Section 482 CrPC in light of the settled private dispute and the Gian Singh proposition that such cases may be quashed when continued prosecution is not in the ends of justice.
Contentions of Respondents
The State and defacto complainant bank argued that the alleged offences involve cheating and forging a sale deed, which would ordinarily warrant trial; however, given the private nature of the dispute and the verified settlement, the matter may be quashed to avoid harassment and preserve resources, subject to proper verification.
Cited Precedents (1)
| Case Name | Citation | Treatment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and Another | 2012(4) KLT 108 | Positive | The court relied on the Gian Singh doctrine to exercise jurisdiction under Section 482 CrPC and quash proceedings where a private settlement exists. |
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