The court has inherent power under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. to quash proceedings, even in non-compoundable offences, to prevent the abuse of law and secure the ends of justice.

NIRMALJIT KAUR, J.(Oral) - The complainant himself has filed the present petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C. for quashing of FIR No.92 dated 24.10.2006 under Sections 420/467/468/471/474/120-B IPC Police Station Amloh, District Fatehgarh Sahib and subsequent proceedings arising therefrom on the basis of compromise entered into between the parties.

2. The FIR in question was got registered by petitioner No.1. However, the matter has been compromised due to the intervention of the respectables of the area. Compromise deed (Annexure P-2) has also been placed on record in this regard.

3. The parties are present in the Court along with their respective counsel and admit the factum of compromise.

4. The Full Bench of this Court, in the case of Kulwinder Singh and others v. State of Punjab and another 2007(3) RCR (Criminal) 1052 has held that the compromise, in a modern society, is the sine qua non of CRM M-4205 of 2011 -2 harmony and orderly behaviour. It is the soul of justice and if the power under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. is used to enhance such a compromise which, in turn, enhances the social amity and reduces friction, then it truly is “finest hour of justice”. Disputes which have their genesis not only in matrimonial discord but others as well, such compromise deserves to be accepted. It is further held as under:-

“The only inevitable conclusion from the above discussion is that there is no statutory bar under the Cr.P.C. which can affect the inherent power of this Court under Section 482. Further, the same cannot be limited to matrimonial cases alone and the Court has the wide power to quash the proceedings even in non-compoundable offences notwithstanding the bar under Section 320 of the Cr.P.C in order to prevent the abuse of law and to secure the ends of justice.”

5. In the case of Madan Mohan Abbot v. State of Punjab 2008 (4) S.C. Cases 582, the Apex Court emphasised and advised as under:-

“We need to emphasise that it is perhaps advisable that in disputes where the question involved is of a purely personal nature, the court should ordinarily accept the terms of the compromise even in criminal proceedings as keeping the matter alive with no possibility of a result in favour of the prosecution is a luxury which the courts, grossly overburdened as they are, cannot afford and that the time so saved can be utilised in deciding more effective and meaningful litigation. This is a common sense approach to the matter based on ground of realities and bereft of the technicalities of the law.”

6. Taking into account that the compromise has been effected between the parties and the complainant himself has filed the present CRM M-4205 of 2011 -3petition along with the accused praying that the FIR in question be quashed, it is a fit case where there is no impediment in the way of the Court to exercise its inherent powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. for quashing of FIR in the interest of justice.

7. Accordingly, the present petition is allowed and FIR No.92 dated 24.10.2006 under Sections 420/467/468/471/474/120-B IPC Police Station Amloh, District Fatehgarh Sahib and all subsequent proceedings arising there from are hereby quashed.