Karan Aggarwal v. The State Of Haryana And Another

-1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision:11.07.2019 Karan Aggarwal

...Petitioner

Versus

State of Haryana and another

...Respondents

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ BAJAJ

Present:

Mr. Gautam Dutt, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Nischal Mann, DAG, Haryana.

Mr. Gurinder Pal Singh, Advocate for the complainant with complainant-in-person.

*** MANOJ BAJAJ, J.(ORAL) Through this petition, filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C., the petitioner has prayed for quashing of FIR No.14 dated 22.01.2014 for the offences punishable under Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code ('IPC' - for short), registered at Police Station Civil Lines, Kaithal (Annexure P-1) and the proceedings arising therefrom including challan (Sections 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC added lateron in the challan). Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in compliance to the order dated 24.01.2019, parties appeared before the Mediation and Conciliation Centre of this court and settled/compromised the matter. Report dated 14.02.2019 from the Mediation and Conciliation Centre is

-2already on record. He has handed over a draft bearing No.213221 dated 08.07.2019 for an amount of ` 7.50 lacs to the complainant, who is present in Court to fulfill the condition 6(a) of the Settlement/Agreement. Learned counsel for the complainant also states that the matter has been compromised between the parties. He has no objection if the instant petition is allowed and the FIR No.14 dated 22.01.2014 (Annexure P-1) and the proceedings arising therefrom including challan (Sections 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC added lateron in the challan) are quashed. Learned State counsel also does not dispute the factum of compromise between the parties.

I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case file.

The Full Bench judgment of this Court in Kulwinder Singh and others Vs. State of Punjab, 2007 (3) RCR (Criminal) 1052, categorically held that the High Court has power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to allow the compounding of non-compoundable offence and same is not confined to matrimonial disputes alone. The relevant para is extracted below :- "29.

The only inevitable conclusion from the above discussion is that there is no statutory bar under the Criminal Procedure Code which can affect the inherent power of this Court under Section 482. Further, the same cannot be limited to matrimonial cases alone and the Court has the wide power to quash the proceedings even in non-compoundable offences notwithstanding the bar under Section 320 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in order to prevent the abuse of law and to secure the ends of justice."

-3In Gian Singh Vs. State of Punjab and another, 2012 (4) RCR (Criminal) 543, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has also discussed the powers of High Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C. and the relevant portion reads as under :- "The position that emerges from the above discussion can be summarised thus: the power of the High Court in quashing a criminal proceeding or FIR or complaint in exercise of its inherent jurisdiction is distinct and different from the power given to a criminal court for compounding the offences under Section 320 of the Code. Inherent power is of wide plenitude with no statutory limitation but it has to be exercised in accord with the guideline engrafted in such power viz; (i) to secure the ends of justice or (ii) to prevent abuse of the process of any Court.

In what cases power to quash the criminal proceeding or complaint or F.I.R may be exercised where the offender and victim have settled their dispute would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case and no category can be prescribed. However, before exercise of such power, the High Court must have due regard to the nature and gravity of the crime. Heinous and serious offences of mental depravity or offences like murder, rape, dacoity, etc. cannot be fittingly quashed even though the victim or victim's family and the offender have settled the dispute. Such offences are not private in nature and have serious impact on society.

Similarly, any compromise between the victim and offender in relation to the offences under special statutes like Prevention of Corruption Act or the offences committed by public servants while working in that capacity etc; cannot provide for any basis for quashing criminal proceedings involving such offences.

-4But the criminal cases having overwhelmingly and predominatingly civil flavour stand on different footing for the purposes of quashing, particularly the offences arising from commercial, financial, mercantile, civil, partnership or such like transactions or the offences arising out of matrimony relating to dowry, etc. or the family disputes where the wrong is basically private or personal in nature and the parties have resolved their entire dispute.

In this category of cases, High Court may quash criminal proceedings if in its view, because of the compromise between the offender and victim, the possibility of conviction is remote and bleak and continuation of criminal case would put accused to great oppression and prejudice and extreme injustice would be caused to him by not quashing the criminal case despite full and complete settlement and compromise with the victim.

In other words, the High Court must consider whether it would be unfair or contrary to the interest of justice to continue with the criminal proceeding or continuation of the criminal proceeding would tantamount to abuse of process of law despite settlement and compromise between the victim and wrongdoer and whether to secure the ends of justice, it is appropriate that criminal case is put to an end and if the answer to the above question(s) is in affirmative, the High Court shall be well within its jurisdiction to quash the criminal proceeding."

Since the parties have settled the dispute and decided to live in peace, therefore, no meaningful purpose would be served in allowing the criminal proceedings to continue.

In view of the above, present petition succeeds and FIR No.14 dated 22.01.2014 for the offences punishable under Sections 406 and 420

-5IPC, registered at Police Station Civil Lines, Kaithal (Annexure P-1) and the proceedings arising therefrom including challan (Sections 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC added lateron in the challan) are ordered to be quashed. 11.07.2019 (MANOJ BAJAJ) sheetal JUDGE Whether Speaking/Reasoned: Yes/No Whether Reportable : Yes/No