2007 Supreme(Mad) 2842
High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S. PALANIVELU
Irwin Moses & Others
Versus
The State, Rep.by the Sub-Inspector of Police, Arakkonam Town Police Station, Arakkonam, Vellore District & Others
CRIMINAL ORIGINAL PETITION NOS.25533 & 25538 OF 2007
Decided On : 05-09-2007
For the Petitioners:R. Singaravelan, Advocate. For the Respondents:R1, A. Saravanan, Govt. Advocate (Criminal Side), R2, R. Barathkumar, Advocate.
Compromise between two spouses accepted by court.
Headnote:Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973-Section 320 and 482-Compounding of offence-Compromise reached between spouses-Inherent powers of court-Held, memo of compromise recorded and accepted to meet the ends of justice.
In both the petitions, the parties are same. First petitioner is the husband of second respondent, who is the de facto complainant in both the cases. Other petitioners are family members.
2. On 18.01.2005, there was a scuffle between the family members, in which the petitioners are reported to have hurled filthy language at second respondent, besides assaulting her. Hence, a case under Sections 294 (B), 323 and 325 IPC came to be registered in Crime No.96 of 2005 on the file of Arakkonam Town Police Station. Subsequently, after investigation, charge sheet was laid against the petitioners for the offences under the above said Sections.
3. On 23.01.2005, the second respondent lodged another complaint with the police, alleging that the first petitioner, her husband, was perpetrating cruelty on her and that she gave birth two children, one male and one female, through the first petitioner, by means of wedlock; in the year 2003, the first petitioner contacted second marriage with fifth petitioner by name Aruna; on 28.03.2004, she delivered a female child and since there was a demand of dowry and matter of bigamy, a case was registered in Crime No.2 of 2005 under Sections 498 (A), 494, 294 (B) and 506 (II) IPC and both the cases are pending for trial.
4. After preferring these petitions before this Court, the spouses, namely, first petitioner and second respondent entered into a compromise, by means of which they wholeheartedly wanted to settle the disputes and misunderstandings between them finally and both of them came forward to give a quietus to the estrangement. Both of them appeared before this Court and expressed their willingness for the compromise and requested this Court to record the terms and conditions stipulated in the compromise memo, filed in both the cases. The said terms are as under:
.(a) The 2nd respondent agrees to receive a sum of Rs.1,00,000/-from the 1st petitioner to end the disputes between them.
.(b) The 1st petitioner has paid a sum of Rs.1,00,000/-by way of pay order No.037161 dated 16.08.2007 drawn on Union Bank of India, Arakkonam, to the 2nd respondent and the 2nd respondent hereby acknowledge the receipt of the said sum of Rs.1,00,000/- and thereafter the 1st petitioner agrees to pay Rs.25,000/- within 6 months from the date of compromise agreement.
.(c) The 1st petitioner agrees to pay a sum of Rs.1,000/-each and every month for the maintenance of the child namely NATASHA PAMEELA MOSES who is with the 2nd respondent till the marriage of the child namely NATASHA PAMEELA MOSES.
.(d) If the 1st petitioner fails to pay the amount mentioned in Clause (b) and (c) as above, the 2nd respondent shall have the right to initiate proceedings to recover the same.
.(e) The 2nd respondent shall not pursue the Criminal Cases initiated by her in C.C.No.203 of 2005 and 501 of 2005 on the file of Judicial Magistrate, Arakkonam, against the 1st petitioner and his family members namely (1) Irwin Moses (2) Hosanna Moses (3) Ryan Moses (4) Lydan Moses and Aruna, who are the petitioners 2 to 5 herein and the 2nd respondent agreed for quashing of the above criminal proceedings."
5. Heard the learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side).
6. Learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that when any criminal cases pending between the spouses and in case they settle the matter during the pendency of the cases, the settled law paves way to allow the parties to compound non-compoundable offence and in exercise of inherent power, the High Court may quash the proceedings, to meet the ends of justice. The proposition of law is illuminatingly highlighted in the decision of the Honble Supreme Court in B.S. Joshi and Others v. State of Haryana and Another, 2003 Supreme Court Cases (Cri) 848, in the following lines:
"In the present case, the wife filed an affidavit that the FIR was registered at her instance due to temperamental differences and implied imputations. There may be many reasons for not supporting th