1. This petition is filed to quash the criminal proceedings in C.C. No. 512 of 2014 on the file of the Additional Mahila Court, Madurai, having been taken cognizance for the offence under Sections 294(b) of I.P.C. and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act against the petitioner.

2. The case of the prosecution is that the defacto complainant studied Nursing at the petitioner's Nursing Institute during 2007-08. Since her father died, she has been appointed on compassionate ground in the same Institute from July 2009. During that time, the petitioner started compelling her to marry him. Thereafter, she got married with another person viz. C. Shanmugam. Even, after the marriage, the petitioner harassed the defacto complainant by phone and also through messages. Therefore, she lodged a complaint and the same has been registered in Crime No. 343 of 2013 and charge sheet has been laid by the first respondent, which was taken cognizance for the offence under Sections 294(b) of I.P.C. And Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act.

3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the second respondent/defacto complainant lodg