The inherent power under section 482 CrPC can be invoked to quash proceedings, even for non-compoundable offences, to serve the ends of justice and prevent abuse of the process of law.

JUDGMENT :

Anoop Chitkara J.

The petitioner(s), arraigned as accused in the above captioned FIR, has come up before this Court under Section 482 CrPC for quashing of the FIR and all consequential proceedings along with judgment/order of sentence dated 29.08.2019 (Annexure-P2) based on the compromise with the victim(s).

2. The gist of the allegations against the petitioner(s) is that the complainant-respondent No.2 has made statement before the police and on that statement police registered the FIR captioned above. After trial, all the petitioner stands convicted vide judgment dated 29.08.2019 passed by JMIC, Phul. Needless to mention all the details as the parties have compromised the matter.

3. During the pendency of the petition, the accused and the victim(s) have compromised the matter, and its copy is annexed with this petition. After that, the petitioner(s) came up before this Court to quash the FIR, and in the quashing petition, the victim(s) have been impleaded as respondent(s).

4. On the prayer of the parties in the present petition, the Court had permitted the parties to appear before the concerned Court to record their statements. As per the concerned Court's report, the victim(s), without any threat, consented to the quashing of FIR and consequent proceedings.

ANALYSIS & REASONING:

5. The following aspects would be relevant to conclude this petition: -

(a) The accused and the private respondent(s) have amicably settled the matter between them in terms of the compromise deed and the statements recorded before the concerned Court;

(b) A perusal of the documents reveal that the settlement has not been secured through coercion, threats, social boycotts, bribes, or other dubious means;

(c) The victim has willingly consented to the nullification of criminal proceedings;

(d) There is no objection from the private respondents in case present FIR and consequent proceedings are quashed;

(e) In the given facts, the occurrence does not affect public peace or tranquillity, moral turpitude or harm the social and moral fabric of the society or involve matters concerning public policy;

(f) The rejection of compromise may also lead to ill will. The pendency of trial affects career and happiness;

(g) There is nothing on the record to prima facie consider the accused as an unscrupulous, incorrigible, or professional offender;

(h) The purpose of criminal jurisprudence is reformatory in nature and to work to bring peace to family, community, and society;

(i) The exercise of the inherent power for quashing the conviction, sentence and all previous proceedings is justified to secure the ends of justice.

6. In the present case, the offences under sections 452, 457, 380, 148, & 149 of Indian Penal Code, 1860, (IPC) are not compoundable under Section 320 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC). However, in the facts and circumstances peculiar to this case, the prosecution qua the non-compoundable offences can be closed by quashing the FIR and consequent proceedings.

7. In Shiji @ Pappu v. Radhika, (2011) 10 SCC 705, Hon’ble Supreme Court holds,

[13]. It is manifest that simply because an offence is not compoundable under Section 320 Indian Penal Code is by itself no reason for the High Court to refuse exercise of its power under Section 482 Criminal Procedure Code That power can in our opinion be exercised in cases where there is no chance of recording a conviction against the accused and the entire exercise of a trial is destined to be an exercise in futility. There is a subtle distinction between compounding of offences by the parties before the trial Court or in appeal on one hand and the exercise of power by the High Court to quash the prosecution under Section 482 Criminal Procedure Code on the other.