Vishnu v. Praveen and State of Kerala

# **`IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM`** ## **`PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V FRIDAY, THE 18[TH] DAY OF AUGUST 2023 / 27TH SRAVANA, 1945`** ## **`CRL.MC NO. 5027 OF 2023 AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENTSC 1131/2022 OF ADDITIONAL SUB COURT, KOCHI`** ## **`PETITIONER/S:`** ``` VISHNU AGED34YEARS S/OLEKSHMANAN, CHIRATTAPURAKKALHOUSE, - CHERAIP.O,,PIN683514 ``` ``` BYADVK.B.REKHA ``` ## **`RESPONDENT/S:`** ``` 1PRAVEEN AGED34YEARS S/O.LEKSHMANAN, CHIRATTAPURAKKALHOUSE, - CHERAIP.O,,PIN683514 2STATEOFKERALA REPRESENTEDBYPUBLICPROSECUTOR, - HIGHCOURTOFKERALA,PIN682031 ``` ``` BYADVS. K.S.SREERAJ ATHIRAHARIDAS(K/1121/2022) ``` ``` SMT.NEEMATV,SR.PP ``` ``` THISCRIMINALMISC.CASEHAVINGCOMEUPFORADMISSIONON 18.08.2023,THECOURTONTHESAMEDAYPASSEDTHEFOLLOWING: ``` ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 2 ``` ## **ORDER** This petition is filed invoking the powers of this Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (“the Code” for the sake of brevity). 2. The petitioner herein is the accused in SC.No. 1331 of 2022 on the file of the Assistant Sessions Court, Kochi. In the said case, he faces indictment for having committed offences punishable under Sections 323, 324, 307 of the IPC. 3. The prosecution allegation, as borne out from the records, are as under: On 27.06.2022 at about 6.00 p.m., the accused, who is the brother of the defacto complainant, stabbed him with a knife on his left forearm, causing serious injuries. 4. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the parties have settled their disputes and they are not desirous of pursuing the prosecution proceedings. Reliance is placed on the affidavit filed by the 1st respondent to substantiate his contention. According to the learned counsel, if the proceedings are terminated, recording the amicable settlement, the parties can embark upon their future paths in an atmosphere of tranquility and mutual respect. ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 3 ``` 5. When the matter had come up for admission, this Court had directed the investigating officer concerned to record the statement of the de facto complainant/injured/victim and report as to whether the assertion in the petition and the affidavit filed in support that entire disputes have been resolved between the parties concerned is true and genuine. The investigating officer was also directed to report as to whether the petitioner is a person with criminal antecedents and whether there is any other impediment in terminating the criminal proceedings. 6. The learned Public Prosecutor has raised reservations with regard to the prospect of quashing the present proceedings purely on the basis of the settlement. It is urged that the extant circumstances may not warrant the exercise of the court's inherent jurisdiction, as conferred under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He would highlight that among the offenses against the petitioner in the Charge, the offense under Section 307 of the IPC also has been included. However, it is fairly submitted that no other transgressions or complaints stand registered against the Petitioners hitherto. It is further submitted that the statement of the party respondent has been recorded, and he has unequivocally expressed that he harbor no enduring grievances. ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 4 ``` 7. I have considered the submissions and have gone through the records. 8. In **State of M.P. v. Laxmi Narayan,[1]** a three-judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court has summarised the law as laid down in **Gian Singh v. State of Punjab[2]** , **Narinder Singh v. State of Punjab[3]** , **State of Rajasthan v. Shambhu Kewat[4]** , **State of M.P. v. Deepak[5] , State of M.P. v. Manish[6]** , **J. Ramesh Kamath v. Mohana Kurup[7]** ; **State of M.P. v. Rajveer Singh[8]** , **Parbatbhai Aahir v. State of Gujarat[9] , State of M.P. v. Kalyan Singh[10] and State of M.P. v. Dhruv Gurjar[11]** . It was laid down as under: 15. Considering the law on the point and the other decisions of this Court on the point referred to hereinabove, it is observed and held as under: - 15.1. That the power conferred under Section 482 of the Code to quash the criminal proceedings for the non-compoundable offences under Section 320 of the Code can be exercised having overwhelmingly - 1 [(2019) 5 SCC 688] 2 (2012) 10 SCC 303 3 2014 (6) SCC 466 4 (2014) 4 SCC 149 5 (2014) 10 SCC 285 6 (2015) 8 SCC 307 7 2016) 12 SCC 179 8 (2016) 12 SCC 471 9 (2017) 9 SCC 641 10 (2019) 4 SCC 268 11 (2019) 5 SCC 570] ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 5 ``` 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; - 15.2. 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. Such offences are not private in nature and have a serious impact on society; - 15.3. Similarly, such power is not to be exercised for the offences under the special statutes like the 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; - 15.4. Offences under Section 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 Section 307 IPC and/or the Arms Act, etc. which have a serious impact on the society cannot be quashed in exercise of powers under Section 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 Section 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 Section 307 IPC is there for the sake of it or the prosecution has collected sufficient evidence, which if proved, would lead to framing the charge under Section 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/delicate parts of the body, nature of weapons used, etc. ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 6 ``` 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 paras 29.6 and 29.7 of the decision of this Court in Narinder Singh [Narinder Singh v. State of Punjab, (2014) 6 SCC 466 : (2014) 3 SCC (Cri) 54] should be read harmoniously and to be read as a whole and in the circumstances stated hereinabove; - 15.5. While exercising the power under Section 482 of the Code to quash the criminal proceedings in respect of non-compoundable offenses, which are private in nature and do not have a serious impact 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, 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. In the case on hand, the offenses alleged include Section 307 of the IPC as well. In **Laxmi Narayanan** (supra), the Apex Court has reminded it would be open to this Court to examine whether incorporation of Section 307 of the IPC is there for the sake of it or whether the prosecution has collected sufficient evidence, which, if proven, would lead to framing the charge under Section 307 IPC. For this purpose, this Court was required to go by the nature of the injury sustained, whether such injury is inflicted on the ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 7 ``` vital/delicate parts of the body, the nature of weapons used, etc. I have gone through the copy of the wound certificates of the injured, which is produced as Annexure A4. I find that the injured were seen by the Asst.Surgeon of the Govt.General Hospital on 27.06.2022. I have gone through the wound certificate of the victim. In the wound certificate, it is stated that the injuriy was sustained at the workplace and the injury sustained is a lacerated would on the arm and another lacerated wound on the side of chest.The injury noted by the doctor cannot be said to be grave warranting incorporation of a charge under Section 307 of the IPC. In that view of the matter, despite the incorporation of Section 307 of the IPC in the charge, this court would be well justified in quashing the proceedings recording the settlement **.** The quashing of proceedings on the basis of the settlement will not have any adverse impact on the society and it would only inure to bring about peace and secure the ends of justice as the accused and the victim are direct brothers. Even otherwise, persisting with the prosecution would be nothing but a waste of time as the prospects of conviction are 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. ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 8 ``` Resultantly, this petition will stand allowed. Annexure-A1 Final Report in Crime No.682/2022 of Munambam Police Station and all further proceedings pending against the petitioner as S.C.No. 1331/2022 on the file of the Assistant Sessions Court, Kochi are quashed. Sd/- **RAJA VIJAYARAGHAVAN V, JUDGE** avs ``` CRL.MCNO.5027OF2023 ``` ``` 9 ``` ## **`APPENDIX OF CRL.MC 5027/2023`** ## **`PETITIONER ANNEXURES`** ``` AnnexureA1THECERTIFIEDCOPYOFTHECHARGESHEET SUBMITTEDBEFORETHEASSISTANTSESSIONS COURT,KOCHIINSC1331/2022 AnnexureA4TRUECOPYOFWOUNDCERTIFICATEDT.27.6.2022 ```