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2019 Supreme(Bom) 965

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD
T.V. NALAWADE, K.K. SONAWANE, JJ.
Amit Harising Rathod - Appellant
Versus
State Of Maharashtra - Respondent
Criminal Application No. 480 of 2019
Decided On : 11-07-2019

Advocates Appeared:
Kirti Ahuja, Adv., K.S. Patil, Adv., A.S. Radikar, Adv.

Headnote:

Indian Penal Code,1860 – Section 498-A,315,323 and 504 r/w 34 – Criminal Procedure Code,1973 – Section 173 and 482 Offence of dowry - Physical and mental torture - First informant visited to Police Station and filed report that when she was studying in College, she developed intimacy with applicant - It has been alleged that while examination of Engineering was going on, applicant- husband and complainant eloped and got married - Since then complainant had no relations with her parents - According to complainant, her husband got employment in railways, and couple started residing - When complainant-wife was pregnant of nine months, applicant- mother-in law took her for delivery - Applicants gave some liquid (Kaadha) saying that it will ease her pain and it would facilitate for easy delivery - Complainant did not know that bottle of liquid (Kaddha) containing castor oil - Unfortunately, she delivered a stillborn baby girl - It has been contended that, she was again pregnant and delivered a baby girl - She saw all the applicants were sitting in drawing room and chatting about abortion of complainant - Complainant attempted to make confront about her abortion with husband and in-laws - Applicants became furious and beaten up her with fists - She was also driven out of house - She started residing with her parents - All the applicants visited to parents of complainant and demanded money to purchase a bungalow - When father of complainant expressed inability to pay such huge amount due to financial crises, they assaulted and threatened her for divorce - According to complainant, all applicants subjected her to physical and mental torture - Eventually, she approached to Police and filed report for penal action against applicants - Whether FIR registered against applicants can be quashed and set aside by exercise of powers under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. – Held, In case of - Preeti Gupta and another Vs. State of Jharkhand and another, (2010) 7 SCC 667, it has been delineated that ultimate object of justice is to find out truth and punish guilty and protect innocent - Serious relook of the entire provision of Section 498-A of Cr.P.C. is warranted by legislature - It was observed that the exaggerated versions of the incidents are also reflected in a very large number of complaints - This is so on the basis that court cannot be utilised for any oblique purpose and where in opinion of the court chances of an ultimate conviction is bleak and no useful purpose is likely to be served by allowing a criminal prosecution to continue, court may while taking into consideration the special facts of a case also quash the proceeding even though it may be at a preliminary stage - Honourable Apex Court in the case of State of Haryana and others Vs. Ch. Bhajan Lal and others, MANU/SC/0115/1992 (SC) held that where proceedings is instituted with an ulterior motive or were allegations made in the complaint are absurd and improbable, Court would be within its power to quash the complaint/FIR - Moreover, if allegations in FIR against applicants are taken at their face value and accepted same in its entirety would not constitute any offence or make out case against applicants, in such circumstances, there would not be any propriety to allow prosecution to proceed further into the matter – Order accordingly.

JUDGMENT :

K.K. Sonawane, J.

1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally, with the consent of learned counsel for parties.

2. The applicants preferred present application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ("Cr.P.C.") seeking relief to quash and set aside the First Information Report ("FIR") bearing No. 116 of 2018 registered at Upnagar Police Station, Nandurbar District Nandurbar, for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 315, 323 and 504 read with Section 34 of Indian Penal Code ("IPC") and all other consequential proceeding arising thereof including final Report under Section 173 of Cr.P.C. dated 02-01-2019.

3. The prosecution case in short compass is that, the first informant Jagruti Amit Rathod W/o Amit Harising Rathod on 14-07-2018 visited to the Police of Upanagar, Police Station, Nandurbar, District Nandurbar and filed the report that when she was studying in College, she developed intimacy with applicant Amit. It has been alleged that while examination of Engineering was going on, the applicant- husband and complainant on 05-04-2004 eloped to Pune and got married on 08- 04-2004. Since then complainant had no relations with her parents. According to complainant, her husband got employment in railways, and therefore, the couple started residing in Mira Road area, Mumbai. When complainant-wife was pregnant of nine months, applicant- mother-in law took her to Nandurbar for delivery. According to complainant-wife, she was admitted in the hospital and doctors recommended a cesarean delivery but mother-in-law, brother-in-law and husband did not pay any heed to the advice of doctor and brought her to home. The applicants gave some liquid (Kaadha) saying that it will ease her pain and it would facilitate for easy delivery. The complainant did not know that the bottle of liquid (Kaddha) containing castor oil. Unfortunately, she delivered a stillborn baby girl in the month of October-2012. It has been contended that, in the year 2015, she was again pregnant and delivered a baby girl Viva. Meanwhile, the applicant-husband was transferred to Nandurbar. On 02-04-2018, in the wee hours of night, when complainant was woke up for drinking water at about 11.00 p.m. she saw all the applicants were sitting in the drawing room and chatting about the abortion of complainant. However, on following day, the complainant attempted to make confront about her abortion with husband and in-laws. The applicants became furious and beaten up her with fists. She was also driven out of the house. Thereafter, she started residing with her parents. On 01-06-2018, at about 11.00 p.m. all the applicants visited to the parents of complainant and demanded Rs.15 Lakhs to purchase a bunglow. When the father of complainant expressed inability to pay such huge amount due to financial crises, they assaulted and threatened her for divorce. According to complainant, all the applicants subjected her to physical and mental torture. Eventually, she approached to the Police and filed report for penal action against the applicants.

4. Pursuant to FIR, Police of Upnagar Police Station, Nandurbar, District Nandurbar registered the crime and set the penal law in motion. Investigating Officer recorded statements of witnesses acquainted with the facts of the case. He collected relevant documents of matrimonial dispute between the spouses. The Investigating Officer after completion of investigation filed the charge-sheet under Section 173 of Cr.P.C. The applicants prayed to absolve from the charges pitted against them and quashed and set aside the consequential proceedings arising from impugned FIR bearing No.116 of 2018.

5. Learned counsel for applicants vehemently submits that applicants are innocent of the charges pitted against them. They have not committed any crime, but they are falsely implicated in this case. According to learned counsel, the complainant was not interested in cohabiting with applicant-husband. She was insisting for separa

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