ORDER :

The petitions are filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to quash the private complaint and all further proceedings in C.C.No.700/2013 on the file of the Court of the Judicial First-Class Magistrate-I, Kannur. The petitioner in Crl.M.C.No.3355/2015 is the first accused, and petitioners in Crl. M.C.No.727/2015 are the accused 2 and 3 in the above complaint filed by the first respondent alleging that the petitioners and two others (accused 4 and 5) have committed the offence under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. As the parties are the same, the petitions were consolidated and jointly heard, and are being disposed of by this common judgment. For convenience, the parties are referred to, wherever the context so requires, as per their status in the complaint. The relevant facts:

2. It is alleged in the complaint that the complainant is a two-time member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and the present Secretary of the Kannur District Committee of the Communist Party of India. The first accused is an MLA representing the Azhikode Constituency in Kannur and the accused Nos. 2 and 3 are the Managing Editor and the Printer cum Publisher of the Malayala Manor