O R D E R

The accused Nos.1 to 3 in R.C No.20/2019 on the files of the Sessions Court, Ernakulam, have filed this petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C to quash the proceedings against them pursuant to the order passed by the learned Sessions Judge on 21.12.2019 taking the protest complaint filed by the first respondent to files and issuing summons to the petitioners herein.

2. The petitioners and the first respondent are neighbours who maintained grudge with each other in connection with property disputes as well as previous instances of criminal offences. In an earlier case against the petitioners 1 and 2 relating to verbally abusing the first respondent by calling caste name, the Sessions Court, Ernakulam conducted trial and acquitted the petitioners 1 and 2 as per the judgment dated 27.05.2008 in S.C No.348/2007. The incident in the aforesaid case was said to have happened on 14.03.2006. Incident relating to the present case is said to have occurred on a day in the year 2015. The allegation against the petitioners is that with the intention to drive away the de facto complainant/first respondent, a lady belonging to the Scheduled Caste community from her habitat, the petitioners ver