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2023 Supreme(P&H) 2385

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
JASJIT SINGH BEDI, J.
Anil Lamba – Petitioner
Versus
State of Haryana – Respondent
CRM-M-18919 of 2023
Decided On : 19-04-2023

Advocates Appeared:
Ms. Kamlesh, Advocate for Mr. Parminder Singh, Advocate; For the Petitioner
Mr. Kanwar Sanjiv Kumar, Assistant Advocate General, Haryana.

Headnote:(A) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Section 482 - Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Section 174-A - Quashing of FIR - The petitioner issued cheques that were dishonored, leading to complaint under NI Act, and subsequently, he was declared a proclaimed person, resulting in an FIR under IPC. Upon settlement and withdrawal of the complaint, FIR was quashed to prevent abuse of the process of law. (Paras 1, 3, 8-12)

(B) Legal liability - Withdrawal of main complaint under NI Act after compromise renders proceedings under Section 174-A IPC unnecessary as it would constitute abuse of legal process. (Para 12)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner issued dishonored cheques and was later declared a proclaimed person. After the complaint was withdrawn following a compromise, the FIR under IPC was filed.

Findings of Court:
The court found that since the complaint under NI Act was withdrawn, continuation of FIR 174-A IPC served no purpose and was an abuse of the court process.

Issues: Whether a withdrawn complaint under the NI Act affects the validity of an FIR under IPC section 174-A.

Ratio Decidendi: The FIR was quashed based on the principle that continuation of proceedings under IPC after the withdrawal of the main complaint amounts to an abuse of legal process.

Result: Petition allowed, and FIR quashed.

Table of Content
1. dismissal based on prior resolution (Para 1 , 2 , 3)
2. contention regarding status as proclaimed offender (Para 4 , 5)
3. procedural review of the fir and dismissal (Para 6 , 7)
4. legal precedent on withdrawal and related firs (Para 8 , 9 , 10 , 11)
5. suitability of continuance of proceedings (Para 12)
6. quashing of fir under section 174-a ipc (Para 13)

JUDGMENT

Mr. Jasjit Singh Bedi, J. (Oral)

This is a petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. for quashing of FIR No.116 dated 21.02.2023 (Annexure P-2) under Section 174-A IPC registered at P.S. Karnal City District Karnal on the basis of the fact that the main complaint no.NACT 3595/20221 instituted on 2.12.2021 under section 139 of the Negotiable Instruments Act has already been dismissed as withdrawn vide order dated 27.03.2023 (Annexure P-4).

2. The brief facts of the case are that in discharge of his legal liability, the petitioner/accused issued two cheques for amount of Rs.1,00,000/- dated 23.07.2021 and Rs.1,60,000/- dated 23.7.2021 in favour of complainant. The said cheques came to be dishonoured. Pursuant thereto, as no payment was made in lieu of the dishonoured cheque, a complaint under section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act came to be instituted against the petitioner/accused and he was summoned to face trial. Subsequently, he was declared a proclaimed person vide order dated 04.01.2023. Pursuant to the said order, FIR No.116 dated 21.02.2023 (Annexure P-2) came to be registered under Section 174-A of IPC at Police Station Karnal City, District Karnal against him.

3. Thereafter, a compromise was effected between the parties and the complaint was ordered to be dismissed as withdrawn in terms of the order dated 27.03.2023 (Annexure P-4). In view of the dismissal of the complaint under section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act on the basis of the compromise, the present petition has been filed for quashing of the FIR No.116 dated 21.02.2023 (Annexure P-2) under Section 174-A IPC registered at P.S. Karnal City District Karnal.

4. The learned counsel for the petitioner/accused submits that he had wrongly been declared a proclaimed person and on learning about the same, the petitioner compromised the matter with the complainant. Thereafter, on 27.03.2023, the complainant in the Trial Court got recorded his statement that he did not want to proceed further with the present complaint and wanted to withdraw the same. Based on the said statement, the complaint was ordered to be dismissed as withdrawn on 27.03.2023 (P- 4).

5. The learned State counsel has opposed the present petition and has submitted that the petitioner has rightly been declared a proclaimed offender.

6. This Court has heard the learned counsel for the parties and has perused the paper-book.

7. From the above-said facts and circumstances, it is apparent that the present FIR was registered in view of the fact that the petitioner was declared as a proclaimed person in the proceeding under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The impugned complaint itself has been withdrawn.

8. A coordinate Bench of this Court in CRM-M-43813-2018 titled as " Baldev Chand Bansal v. State of Haryana and another", decided on 29.01.2019 has held as under:-

    "Prayer in this petition is for quashing of FIR No.64 dated 15.02.2017 filed under Section 174-A of the Indian Penal Code registered at Police Station Sector-5, Panchkula and all other subsequent proceedings arising thereof as well as order dated 24.10.2016 passed by the trial Court vide which a direction was issued to register the aforesaid FIR.

    xxx xxx xxx

    Learned counsel for the petitioner has relied upon the decisions rendered by this Court in " Vikas Sharma v. Gurpreet Singh Kohli and another (supra) 2017 (3) L.A.R.584, Microqual Techno Limited and others v. State of Haryana and another, 2015 (32) RCR (Criminal) 790 and "Rajneesh Khanna v. State of Haryana and another" 2017(3) L.A.R. 555 wherein in an identical circumstance, this Court has held that since the

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