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2005 DIGILAW 2374 (RAJ)

Divya v. State of Rajasthan

2005-09-07

KRISHAN KUMAR ACHARYA

body2005
Judgment Krishan Kumar Acharya, J.-By this joint criminal misc. petition under Section 482, CrPC., the Petitioner No. 1 - wife has prayed for quashing of criminal proceedings against the Petitioner No. 2 -husband pending in the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, No. 2, Bikaner in Criminal Regular Case No. 422/2002 for offence under Section 498-A. 2. Heard learned Counsel for the petitioners as well as learned Public Prosecutor. 3. Learned Counsel for the petitioners states that it is a matrimonial dispute between the parties which has resulted into criminal proceedings against the Petitioner No. 2 under Sections 323 and 498-A IPC pending in the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, No. 2 Bikaner. Thereafter, both the petitioners have come to the comprise and they have no grievance against each other. He further states that Petitioner No. 1 - wife as well as Petitioner No. 2 - husband has submitted the compromise before the lower Court but the lower Court has accepted the compromise as far as it relates to the offence under Section 323 IPC and refused to attest the compromise as far as it relates to the offence under Section 498-A IPC. He states that the learned trial Court despite the fact that parties have entered into written compromise has proceeded ahead in the criminal case pending against the Petitioner No. 2. 4. In support of his arguments, learned Counsel for the petitioners has placed reliance upon the Judgment rendered by Honble Supreme Court in case of B.S. Joshi & Ors. vs. State of Haryana, reported in 2003 (4) SCC 675 . 5. I have considered the arguments made by learned Counsel for the petitioners and gone through the record of the case as well as the documents produced before me by the learned Counsel for the petitioners. I have also gone through the Judgment cited by the learned Counsel for the petitioners in case of B.S. Joshi & Ors. (Supra), wherein their Lordships while considering the object of introducing Chapter XX-A containing Section 498-A, have observed as under:- “There is no doubt that the object of introducing Chapter XX-A containing Section 498-A in the Indian Penal Code was to prevent torture to a woman by her husband or by relatives of her husband. (Supra), wherein their Lordships while considering the object of introducing Chapter XX-A containing Section 498-A, have observed as under:- “There is no doubt that the object of introducing Chapter XX-A containing Section 498-A in the Indian Penal Code was to prevent torture to a woman by her husband or by relatives of her husband. Section 498-A was added with a view to punishing a husband and his relatives, who harass or torture the wife to coerce her to her relatives to satisfy unlawful demands of dowry. The hyper technical view would be counterproductive and would act against interest of women and against the object for which this provision was added. There is every likelihood that non-exercise of inherent power to quash the proceedings to meet the ends of justice would prevent women from settling earlier. That is not the object of Chapter XX-A of the Indian Penal Code.”. “In view of the above discussion, we hold that the High Court in exercise of its inherent powers can quash criminal proceedings or FIR or complaint and Section 320 of the Code does not limit or affect the powers under Section 482 of the Code”. 6. Taking into consideration the statement made by the learned Counsel for the petitioners, I am satisfied that both the petitioners have genuinely settled their matrimonial dispute and now they have no grievance against each other. In this view of the matter and taking into account the Judgment rendered by Honble Supreme Court in case of B.S. Joshi & Ors. (Supra), I find it to be a fit case where inherent jurisdiction under Section 482, CrPC, should be exercised. 7. For the reasons as stated hereinabove, I allow this misc. petition and quash the proceedings against the Petitioner No. 2 pending in the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, No. 2, Bikaner in Criminal Regular Case No. 422/2002 for offence under Section 498-A.