T.Dharmaraj v. The State Of Tamilnadu
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 21.07.2025 CORAM :
THE HON`BLE MR.JUSTICE B.PUGALENDHI Crl.OP(MD)No.11433 of 2025 and Crl.MP(MD) Nos.8642 and 8643 of 2025
1. T.Dharmaraj
2. M.Suresh
3. D.Rajan ... Petitioners Vs 1.The State of Tamilnadu, Rep by the Inspector of Police, Thiruvattar Police Station, Kanniyakumari District.
(Crime No.320/2020) 2.V.Shiju
...Respondents
Prayer : Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 528 of BNSS, to call for the records pertaining to the impugned charge sheet in C.C.No.293 of 2022 on the file of the Learned Judicial Magistrate No.II, Padmanabhapuram and quash the same.
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For Petitioners : Mr.C.M.Mari Chelliah Prabhu For R1 : Mr.A.S.Abul Kalaam Azad, Government Advocate(Crl.side) For R2 : Mr.T.Vigneswaran
O R D E R
The petitioners are the accused in C.C.No.293 of 2022 on the file of the Learned Judicial Magistrate No.II, Padmanabhapuram, for the offence under Sections 294(b), 323,324,452 and 506(ii) IPC. They have moved this petition to quash the above proceedings pending against them, on the ground that the issue has been amicably settled with the defacto complainant.
2. The case has been registered for the offence 294(b), 323,324,452 and 506(ii) IPC., of which, except the offence under Sections 323 & 506(ii) IPC, the other offences are not compoundable. However, the Hon'ble Supreme Court, in Parbathbhai Aahir @ Parbathbhai Vs. State of Gujrath [2017 9 SCC 641] and in The State of Madhya Pradesh Vs. Dhruv Gurjar and Another [(2019) 2 MLJ Crl 10], has given sufficient guidelines that must be taken into consideration by the Court while exercising its jurisdiction under 2/7
Section 482 of Cr.P.C, to quash non-compoundable offences. One very important test that has been laid down is that the Court must necessarily examine whether the crime in question is purely individual in nature or a crime against the society with overriding public interest. It has been repeatedly cautioned that offences against the society with overriding public interest even if it gets settled between the parties, cannot be quashed by this Court.
3.Here, the prosecution case is that on 09.05.2020, the petitioners went to a Workshop, where, the defacto complainant was working as a painter and asked about his owner. When the defacto complainant replied that he did not know about his owner, the petitioners abused him in filthy language and also attacked him. Based on the complaint of the second respondent /the defacto complainant, the above case has been registered as against the petitioners.
4. Since the conflict is between the private individuals and not affecting the Society at large, this Court entertained this petition, ordered notice and also directed the investigation officer to ascertain as 3/7
to whether the compromise arrived between the parties is a voluntary one, without any threat or coercion.
5. The petitioner and the defacto complainant are present before this Court today and submit that on the intervention of the elders of the Village, they have amicably settled the issue and therefore, the defacto complainant is not inclined to prosecute the case further. To that effect, they have also filed a joint compromise memo, dated 10.07.2025.
6. The investigation officer, after verification, has filed a report that the compromise arrived upon between the parties is genuine, without any threat or coercion.
7. This Court has verified the parties with their Aadhar Cards and also verified as to the present status. The parties have expressed their willingness to solve the issue. 4/7
8. In the case on hand, the offences are purely individual / personal in nature and the conflict is between the private individuals and it is not affecting the Society at large. It involves the petitioners and the second respondent / defacto complainant. Quashing the case will not affect any overriding public interest. There is a case and counter case. The defacto complainant submitted that he does not want to prosecute the case any further. Under such circumstances, no useful purpose will be served in keeping the case pending, even though some of the offences involved are not compoundable in nature. On the other hand, keeping the proceedings pending will only swell the mental agony of the parties.
9. In view of the above position and following the guidelines issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the cases referred supra, this Court is inclined to quash the proceedings, though certain offences are non-compoundable, in order to avoid further conflict between the parties.
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10. Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition is allowed, with a direction to the petitioners to pay a sum of Rs.10,000/- to the credit of the respondent police station and the amount to be deposited by the petitioners shall be utilized for the welfare activities of the concerned police station. The proceedings in C.C.No.293 of 2022 on the file of the Learned Judicial Magistrate No.II, Padmanabhapuram is hereby quashed. The joint compromise memo 10.07.2025, signed by the parties, shall form part and parcel of this order. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous petitions are closed. 21.07.2025 NCC : Yes/No Index : Yes/No vrn To The Inspector of Police, Thiruvattar Police Station, Kanniyakumari District.
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B.PUGALENDHI,J vrn Order made in Crl.OP(MD)No.11433 of 2025 and Crl.MP(MD)Nos.8642 and 8643 of 2025 21.07.2025 7/7