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Allahabad High Court

AMIT KUMAR AND 4 OTHERSversusSTATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER

Decided

Holding

The High Court held that, given the genuine settlement, it could quash the criminal proceedings under its inherent powers under Section 482 CrPC.

Summary

The applicants filed an application under Section 528 BNSS seeking to quash criminal proceedings (Case No. 19279 of 2024) that involved offences under the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act, arising from a matrimonial dispute. The parties had earlier settled the dispute through mediation at the Karkardooma Courts, executing a settlement agreement dated 06‑08‑2025 and a demand draft of Rs. 3 lakh to the opposite party. The court examined the law on quashing cases on the basis of a genuine settlement, relying on the Supreme Court’s decisions in B.S. Joshi, Gian Singh, Parbatbhai Ahir and Pradeep Kumar Kesarwani. It held that the settlement was voluntary and that the High Court’s inherent power under Section 482 CrPC could be exercised even for non‑compoundable offences in matrimonial matters. Consequently, the court allowed the application and quashed the FIR, cognizance order, summoning order and all pending proceedings. The decision underscores that continuation of criminal prosecution after a full settlement would cause oppression and injustice.

Issues considered

  • Whether criminal proceedings arising from a matrimonial dispute, including non‑compoundable offences, can be quashed on the basis of a voluntary settlement.
  • Whether the High Court can exercise its inherent power under Section 482 CrPC to quash the FIR and related orders upon an application under Section 528 BNSS.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • settlement
  • quashing of criminal proceedings
  • matrimonial dispute
  • inherent jurisdiction
  • Section 482 CrPC
  • non‑compoundable offences
  • mediation

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                 APPLICATION U/S 528 BNSS No. - 12993 of 2026

Amit Kumar And 4 Others
                                                              .....Applicant(s)
                                    Versus

State of U.P. and Another
                                                                 .....Opposite
                                                                       Party(s)

Counsel for Applicant(s)              :   Akshat Sinha, Sanyukta Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party(s)         :   G.A., Prem Chandra Dwivedi

Court No. - 78
                  HON'BLE NAND PRABHA SHUKLA, J.

1. Heard Mr. Akshat Sinha, learned counsel for the applicants, Mr. Prem
Chandra Dwivedi, learned counsel for the opposite party No. 2, learned
A.G.A. for the State and perused the record.

2. The present application under Section 528 BNSS has been filed to allow
this application and quash the entire proceedings of Case No. 19279 of 2024
(State v. Amit Kumar and Others) under Sections 498A, 377, 504, 323, 376,
354(b), 341, 352, 506 IPC and 3/4 D.P. Act, pending before learned ACJM-
I, Court No. 27, Agra Chargesheet dated 10.08.2024 under Sections 498A,
504, 323, 341, 506 IPC and 3/4 D.P. Act cognizance order dated 23.09.2024
and summoning order arising out of Case Crime No. 0260 of 2024, P.S.-
Jagdishpura, District-Agra.

3. It is submitted by learned counsel for the parties that the parties appeared
before Mediation Centre of Karkardooma Courts, Delhi and amicably
settled the dispute through mediation as per terms and conditions mentioned
in the Settlement Agreement dated 06.08.2025, which is available on record.
Today, learned counsel for the applicant has produced demand draft bearing
Demand Draft No. 352958 dated 08.04.2026, of balance amount of Rs.
Three Lakh only drawn in State Bank of India in favour of Priyanka Sagar,
opposite party No. 2 and the said demand draft has been handed over to
opposite party No. 2, Priyanka Sagar in Court.

4. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that the present dispute arises
out of matrimonial discord between the applicants and the opposite party
                                                               NA528 No. 12993 of 2026
                                    2


No.2. It is also argued that the parties have willingly entered into a
settlement and not under duress or threat or coercion and are not interested
in pursuing the matter pending in the Court concerned and, therefore, the
impugned proceedings be quashed on the ground of compromise between
the parties and they do not propose to file the counter affidavit and rejoinder
affidavit.

5. Learned A.G.A. also does not dispute the correctness of the submissions
made by the learned counsel for both the parties.

6. The law with regard to quashing of a case on the basis of settlement
arrived between the parties, is well settled. In the light of the judgment of
Hon'ble Apex Court in B.S. Joshi and Others Vs. State of Haryana and
another, (2003) 4 SCC 675, it has been held that "High Courts have the
inherent power under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) to quash
First Information Reports (FIRs) and criminal proceedings, particularly in
matrimonial disputes where a genuine settlement has been reached between the
parties. The Court clarified that Section 320 Cr.P.C., which lists compoundable
offences, does not restrict this power, and exercising it is crucial for promoting
amicable settlements and serving the ends of justice, even if the offences are otherwise
non-compoundable."

7. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in its Constitutional Bench Judgment in Gian
Singh Vs. State of Punjab and Another, (2012)10 SCC 303, has held that
"But the criminal cases having overwhelmingly and pre-dominatingly civil flavour
stand on different footing for the purposes of quashing, particularly the offences
arising from commercial, financial, mercantile, civil, partnership or such like
transactions or the offences arising out of matrimony relating to dowry, etc. or the
family disputes where the wrong is basically private or personal in nature and the
parties have resolved their entire dispute. In this category of cases, High Court may
quash criminal proceedings if in its view, because of the compromise between the
offender and victim, the possibility of conviction is remote and bleak and continuation
of criminal case would put accused to great oppression and prejudice and extreme
injustice would be caused to him by not quashing the criminal case despite full and
complete settlement and compromise with the victim."

8. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Parbatbhai Ahir alias Parbatbhai
Bhimsinhbhai Karmur and others vs. State of Gujarat and another,
                                                                                                 NA528 No. 12993 of 2026
                                                                       3


                                    (2017) 9 SCC 641 has laid down broad principles of quashing the criminal
                                    proceedings in exercise of inherent jurisdiction on the ground that "even in the
                                    non compoundable cases on the basis of compromise, criminal proceedings can be
                                    quashed so that valuable time of the court can be saved and utilized in other material
                                    cases."

                                    9. The parties have agreed to withdraw the proceedings pending amongst
                                    them in Court concerned. From perusal of the records and the law as cited
                                    above, the present case is a good case for exercise of power by the Court to
                                    quash summoning order as well as entire proceedings.

                                    10. The dispute appears to be purely of a matrimonial in nature that has been
                                    mutually settled between the parties to their entire satisfaction, therefore, no
                                    useful purpose would be served in allowing the prosecution to continue any
                                    longer.

                                    11. The present application for quashing filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C.,
                                    comes within the parameters as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court
                                    in Pradeep Kumar Kesarwani Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh & Another,
                                    Criminal Appeal No. 3831 of 2025, SLP (Crl.) No. 11642 of 2019 dated
                                    02.09.2025.

                                    12. In view of above, tthe entire proceedings of Case No. 19279 of 2024
                                    (State v. Amit Kumar and Others) under Sections 498A, 377, 504, 323, 376,
                                    354(b), 341, 352, 506 IPC and 3/4 D.P. Act, pending before learned ACJM-
                                    I, Court No. 27, Agra Chargesheet dated 10.08.2024 under Sections 498A,
                                    504, 323, 341, 506 IPC and 3/4 D.P. Act cognizance order dated 23.09.2024
                                    and summoning order arising out of Case Crime No. 0260 of 2024, P.S.-
                                    Jagdishpura, District-Agra, are hereby quashed.

                                    13. The present application under Section 528 BNSS, is, accordingly,
                                    allowed.



                                                                                            (Nand Prabha Shukla,J.)
                                    May 5, 2026
                                    Aditya Tripathi




Digitally signed by :-
ADITYA TRIPATHI
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad


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