The High Court possesses the inherent power to quash criminal proceedings under Section 482 CrPC when parties reach a compromise, even in cases involving non-compoundable offences.

ORDER :

B.S. BHANUMATHI, J.

All these Criminal Petitions, under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, ('CrPC') are filed seeking to quash the proceedings against the petitioners therein in Crime Nos.228 of 2023, 229 of 2023, 230 of 2023 and 227 of 2023 respectively on the file of Martur Police Station, Bapatia District.

2. During the pendency of these criminal petitions, I.A.Nos.2 & 3 of 2024 are filed by the de facto complainant under Sections 320 (6) and 320 (2) CrPC, requesting to permit the parties to compound the offence and to record the compromise between the parties and consequently to quash the proceedings in Crime Nos.228 of 2023, 229 of 2023, 230 of 2023 and 227 of 2023 respectively on the file of Martur Police Station, Bapatia District.

3. All these criminal petitions arose out of different complaints between the same set of parties, however, the cause of action for all these complaints is one and the same.

4. For better appreciation, the offences alleged against the petitioners in each petition are detailed hereunder;

5. The prosecution case, briefly stated, in each of the complaint, is as follows:

(a) The de facto complainant in Criminal Petition No.130 of 2024 is a resident of Martur, near Poleramma temple, Bapatia District and on 27.09.2023, at about 20.00 hours, when he along with his wife and children were taking meals and having heard a big sound in front of their house, they came out of the house and found a car bearing No.AP 39 JR 2566 driven by Nagandia Subba Rao dashed his bike which was parked on the margin of the road in front pf their house. On questioning the same, A1 abused the complainant, beat on his face with hand and the complainant received injuries as the keys of the car hit him. Thereafter, A1 to A19 forming themselves into unlawful assembly assaulted the complainant and others by trespassing into his house armed with deadly weapons, voluntarily causing hurt with hands and legs and outraging the modesty of a woman and threatening the complainant and others in prosecution of their common object. On the basis of the complaint, a case in Crime No.228 of 2023 for the offences punishable under Sections 143, 147, 148, 452, 323, 324, 354 and 506 r/w 149 IPC came to be registered.

(b) The case of the de facto complainant in Criminal Petition No.131 of 2024 in the complaint given by him is to the effect that on 27.09.2023 at about 8 PM, while his elder brother, Marturu Veeranjaneyulu after parking his motor cycle on the road in front of their house and while his elder brother and sister-in-law were taking meals, one car bearing No. AP 39 JR 2566, driven by Nagandia Subba Rao with high speed dashed the motor cycle. On hearing the sound, his elder brother and sister-in-law came out of the house and when questioned, the said Subba Rao beat his brother with hands on his face and outraged the modesty of his sister-in-iaw by behaving indecently with her. Basing on his complaint, a case in Crl.P.Nos.130, 131, 132 & 133 Of 2024 Crime No.229 of 2023 for the offences under Sections 323, 341 and 506 r/w 34 IPC has been registered.

(c) The de facto complainant in Criminal Petition No.132 of 2024 is a government se