Gurram Lakshmi, v. Nakka Kumari,

HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE U.DURGA PRASAD RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.16611 of 2014 ORDER :

Heard both sides.

2. Crime No.678/2014 on the file of S.N.Puram Police Station, Vijayawada City was registered for the offences under Sections 323, 324, 506 and 509 of IPC and also under Section 3 read with Section 14 of the Child Labour (P&A) Act, 1986. The matter is under investigation. As can be seen from the contents in FIR, the complainant is the mother of the child, Durga Malliswari. She used to take her daughter Durga Malliswari to the house of the accused. While she was working, the accused used to entrust work to the little girl also and used to abuse her when she failed to do the work and they also used to beat her. On these allegations, the police registered the case and investigating the matter.

3. In this petition, while denying the allegations in FIR learned counsel for the petitioners/accused submits that they never employed the complainant's daughter and all the FIR allegations are false. On these submissions, he sought for quashment of the proceedings.

4. A perusal of the FIR allegations show a prima facie case against the petitioners and as such it is not a fit case to order quashment of the proceedings. This Court is of the considered view that the truth will come out and only after investigation. As

such the investigation shall continue.

5. Hence, the Criminal Petition is ordered as follows: This Criminal Petition is dismissed and the Police are directed to continue the investigation to its logical end. However, during the course of investigation the police shall not arrest the petitioners/accused viz., Gurram Lakshmi and Gurram Venkata Subbaiah.

The petitioners/accused are directed to co-operate with the Investigating Agency for smooth completion of investigation.

As a sequel, miscellaneous applications pending, if any, shall stand closed.

_________________________ U. DURGA PRASAD RAO, J Date: 20.01.2015 MVA