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Allahabad High Court

RAKSHARAM TIWARI AND OTHERSversusSTATE OF U.P. THRU. PRIN. SECY. HOME LKO. AND ANOTHER

Decided
Disposal
Allowed/Partly Allowed on merits/Granted

Holding

The High Court held that where parties have amicably settled a dispute involving non‑compoundable offences and continuation of the criminal proceeding would serve no useful purpose, the inherent power under Section 482 CrPC may be exercised to quash the proceedings.

Summary

The applicants filed an application under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking to quash the summoning order and the entire criminal proceeding (Complaint No. 17106/22) relating to offences under Sections 323, 427 and 504 IPC. The parties had reached an amicable settlement through the Mediation and Conciliation Centre, which was documented in a settlement agreement. Both the opposite parties, including the second opposite party, expressed no objection to the quashing of the proceedings. The Court examined Supreme Court precedents that allow compromise even in certain cognizable and non‑compoundable offences and considered the guidelines laid down in Parbatbhai Aahir v. State of Gujarat on the exercise of inherent powers under Section 482. Finding that the settlement removed any useful purpose for continuing the case and that the offences did not involve a serious public interest, the Court exercised its inherent power to quash the entire proceeding. The application was allowed and the criminal case was dismissed.

Issues considered

  • Whether a settlement between the parties can be a ground to quash criminal proceedings under Section 482 CrPC for offences under IPC Sections 323, 427 and 504, which are non‑compoundable.
  • Whether the High Court's inherent power under Section 482 may be exercised notwithstanding the non‑compoundable nature of the offences when the dispute has been settled.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • Section 482 CrPC
  • quash of criminal proceedings
  • settlement
  • compromise
  • non‑compoundable offences
  • IPC 323
  • IPC 427
  • IPC 504
  • mediation
  • High Court inherent powers
  • public interest

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                        LUCKNOW
                 APPLICATION U/S 482 No. - 7275 of 2023

Raksharam Tiwari And Others
                                                           .....Applicant(s)
                                   Versus

State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Lko. And
Another                                                       .....Opposite
                                                                    Party(s)

Counsel for Applicant(s)         : Amar Singh, Jai Vardhan Srivastava
Counsel for Opposite Party(s)    : G.A., Amitabh Banerjee

Court No. - 16
                    HON'BLE BRIJ RAJ SINGH, J.

1. Heard learned counsel for the parties.

2. The instant application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. has been filed on
behalf of the applicant with a prayer to quash the impugned summoning
order dated 01.10.2022 passed by Civil Judge Junior Division Court No.8,
Gonda in Complaint Case No.17106 of 2022 the impugned revisional
order dated 05.07.2023 passed by the Court of Revision i.e. Additional
Sessions Judge, FTC New Gonda in Criminal Revision No.488 of 2022
under Section 323, 427 and 504 I.P.C., Police Station-Nawab Ganj,
District-Gonda, Furthermore, as well as the entire proceeding of the
Complaint Case No.17106/22 (Hemant Shukla vs. Raksharam Tiwari and
Others) pending in the Court of Civil Judge Junior Division Court No.8,
Gonda.

3. The Mediation and Conciliation Center, High Court, Lucknow has
submitted its report dated 28.10.2025 along with the settlement entered
into between the parties. According to the terms of the compromise,
parties have settled their dispute amicably.

4. Learned counsel for the parties state that the dispute under the said
agreement stands settled between the parties. Therefore, submission is
that the entire proceedings of the aforesaid criminal case are liable to be
quashed.
                                                               A482 No. 7275 of 2023
                                   2


5. Learned counsel for opposite party no.2 has also not denied the
aforesaid facts. On instructions received from opposite party no.2, he
submits that he has no objection, if the proceedings against the applicants
in the aforesaid case are quashed.

6. This Court is not unmindful of the following judgements of the
Supreme Court:

i. B.S. Joshi and others Vs. State of Haryana and another, (2003)4 SCC 675;

ii. Nikhil Merchant Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation, (2008) 9 SCC 677;

iii. Manoj Sharma Vs. State and others, (2008) 16 SCC 1;

iv. Gian Singh Vs. State of Punjab, (2012) 10 SCC 303;

v. Narindra Singh and others Vs. State of Punjab, (2014) 6 SCC 466; and

vi. State of M.P. Vs. Laxmi Narayan and others, AIR 2019 SC 1296

7. In the aforesaid judgments, the Supreme Court has categorically held
that compromise can be made between the parties even in respect of
certain cognizable and non-compoundable offences. Reference may also
be made to the decision given by this Court in Shaifullah and others Vs.
State of U.P. and another, 2013 (83) ACC 278, in which the law
expounded by the Supreme Court in some of the judgments noted above
has been explained in detail.

8. Recently, the Supreme Court in the case of Parbatbhai Aahir @
Parbatbhai Bhimsinhbhai Karmur and others Vs. State of Gujarat and
another, (2017) 9 SCC 641 has laid down the following guidelines with
regard to quashing of criminal proceedings as well compromise in
criminal proceedings in paragraphs 16 to 16.10, which read as under:

"16. The broad principles which emerge from the precedents on the subject, may be
summarised in the following propositions;

16.1. Section 482 preserves the inherent powers of the High Court to prevent an abuse
of the process of any court or to secure the ends of justice. The provision does not
confer new powers. It only recognises and preserves powers which inhere in the High
Court;
                                                                  A482 No. 7275 of 2023
                                    3

16.2. The invocation of the jurisdiction of the High Court to quash a First Information
Report or a criminal proceeding on the ground that a settlement has been arrived at
between the offender and the victim is not the same as the invocation of jurisdiction
for the purpose of compounding an offence. While compounding an offence, the power
of the court is governed by the provisions of Section 320 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973. The power to quash under Section 482 is attracted even if the
offence is non-compoundable.

16.3. In forming an opinion whether a criminal proceeding or complaint should be
quashed in exercise of its jurisdiction under Section 482, the High Court must
evaluate whether the ends of justice would justify the exercise of the inherent power;

16.4. While the inherent power of the High Court has a wide ambit and plenitude it
has to be exercised; (i) to secure the ends of justice or (ii) to prevent an abuse of the
process of any court;

16.5. The decision as to whether a complaint or First Information Report should be
quashed on the ground that the offender and victim have settled the dispute, revolves
ultimately on the facts and circumstances of each case and no exhaustive elaboration
of principles can be formulated;

16.6. In the exercise of the power under Section 482 and while dealing with a plea
that the dispute has been settled, the High Court must have due regard to the nature
and gravity of the offence. Heinous and serious offences involving mental depravity or
offences such as murder, rape and dacoity cannot appropriately be quashed though
the victim or the family of the victim have settled the dispute. Such offences are, truly
speaking, not private in nature but have a serious impact upon society. The decision to
continue with the trial in such cases is founded on the overriding element of public
interest in punishing persons for serious offences;

16.7. As distinguished from serious offences, there may be criminal cases which have
an overwhelming or predominant element of a civil dispute. They stand on a distinct
footing in so far as the exercise of the inherent power to quash is concerned;

16.8. Criminal cases involving offences which arise from commercial, financial,
mercantile, partnership or similar transactions with an essentially civil flavour may in
appropriate situations fall for quashing where parties have settled the dispute;

16.9. In such a case, the High Court may quash the criminal proceeding if in view of
the compromise between the disputants, the possibility of a conviction is remote and
the continuation of a criminal proceeding would cause oppression and prejudice; and

16.10. There is yet an exception to the principle set out in propositions 16.8 and 16.9
above. Economic offences involving the financial and economic well-being of the state
have implications which lie beyond the domain of a mere dispute between private
disputants. The High Court would be justified in declining to quash where the offender
is involved in an activity akin to a financial or economic fraud or misdemeanour. The
consequences of the act complained of upon the financial or economic system will
weigh in the balance."

9. Considering the fact that agreement between the parties has been
entered into; both the parties being present here; counsel for opposite
                                                                                           A482 No. 7275 of 2023
                                                                  4


                                    party no.2 being present and having no objection to this agreement as well
                                    as looking into the facts and circumstances of the case, as noted herein-
                                    above as also the submissions made by the counsel for the parties, the
                                    Court is of the considered opinion that no useful purpose would be served
                                    by prolonging the proceedings of above mentioned case.

                                    10. Accordingly, application is allowed and the entire proceedings of the
                                    entire proceeding of the Complaint Case No.17106/22 (Hemant Shukla
                                    vs. Raksharam Tiwari and Others) pending in the Court of Civil Judge
                                    Junior Division Court No.8, Gonda are hereby quashed qua the
                                    applicants.



                                                                                          (Brij Raj Singh,J.)
                                    January 5, 2026
                                    Mohit Singh/-




Digitally signed by :-
MOHIT SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad,
Lucknow Bench


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