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Allahabad High Court

PRABHAS VISHWAKARMA ALIAS GURU VISHWAKARMA AND ANOTHERversusSTATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER

Decided

Holding

The High Court allowed the application and quashed the criminal proceedings on the ground of a verified settlement between the parties.

Summary

The applicants filed an application under Section 528 of the CrPC seeking quash of criminal proceedings, asserting that the dispute had been amicably settled and a compromise was verified by the trial court on 04.05.2026. The trial court confirmed the settlement, and the State and the second opposite party did not contest the facts. Relying on the Supreme Court’s principles in State of Madhya Pradesh v. Laxmi Narayan (2019) 5 SCC 688 regarding the exercise of power under Section 482 CrPC to quash non‑compoundable offences when parties have resolved the dispute, the High Court examined whether the offences (Sections 504 and 506 IPC) were of a private nature. Finding that the settlement was genuine and the offences were not of a heinous or public nature, the Court allowed the application and quashed the proceedings of Case No. 2421 of 2023. The order effectively terminated the criminal case against the accused.

Issues considered

  • Whether a criminal proceeding for offences under Sections 504 and 506 IPC can be quashed under Section 482 CrPC on the basis of a settlement/compromise between the parties.
  • Whether the offences in question are non‑compoundable but of a private nature permitting quashment despite Section 320 CrPC.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • settlement
  • compromise
  • quash of criminal proceedings
  • Section 482 CrPC
  • non-compoundable offence
  • Section 504 IPC
  • Section 506 IPC
  • High Court

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                 APPLICATION U/S 528 BNSS No. - 30256 of 2025


Prabhas Vishwakarma Alias Guru Vishwakarma
And Another                                                 .....Applicant(s)
                                    Versus

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

Counsel for Applicant(s)      : Arvind Kumar Srivastava, Kuldeep
                                Kumar
Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : Aqib Isteyaq, G.A.

Court No. - 81
                     HON'BLE MADAN PAL SINGH, J.

     1. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.

     2. It is submitted by learned counsel for applicant that the
     parties have settled their dispute amicably outside the Court
     and compromise had taken place between them and the same
     has been filed along with the instant application. Earlier, this
     Court had directed the parties to appear before the Court below
     for verification of compromise. By the said order, the Court
     below was further directed to send a verification report.

     3. As per report, the parties had appeared before the trial Court,
     who were identified by their respective counsels and the
     compromise was verified by the trial Court on 04.05.2026.

     4. Since parties have amicably settled their dispute outside the
     Court and opposite party no.2 does not want to prosecute the
     applicant, no useful purpose would be served in keeping it
     pending.

     5. Learned A.G.A. for the State as well as learned counsel for
     O.P. no.2 do not dispute the aforesaid facts.

     6. The Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of State of Madhya
     Pradesh Vs. Laxmi Narayan and others, reported in (2019) 5
                                                        NA528 No. 30256 of 2025
                             2


SCC 688 has laid down principles for quashing the proceeding
on the basis of settlement/compromise. Relevant paragraphs
are quoted herein below:-

    "15. Considering the law on the point and the other decisions
    of this Court on the point, referred to herein above, it is
    observed and held as under:

    i) that the power conferred under Section 482 of the Code to
    quash the criminal proceedings for the non-compoundable
    offences under Section 320 of the Code can be exercised
    having overwhelmingly and predominantly the civil character,
    particularly those arising out of commercial transactions or
    arising out of matrimonial relationship or family disputes and
    when the parties have resolved the entire dispute amongst
    themselves;

    ii) such power is not to be exercised in those prosecutions
    which involved heinous and serious offences of mental
    depravity or offences like murder, rape, dacoity, etc. Such
    offences are not private in nature and have a serious impact
    on society;

    iii) similarly, such power is not to be exercised for the offences
    under the special statutes like Prevention of Corruption Act or
    the offences committed by public servants while working in
    that capacity are not to be quashed merely on the basis of
    compromise between the victim and the offender;

    iv) offences under Section 307 IPC and the Arms Act etc.
    would fall in the category of heinous and serious offences and
    therefore are to be treated as crime against the society and not
    against the individual alone, and therefore, the criminal
    proceedings for the offence under Section 307 IPC and/or the
    Arms Act etc. which have a serious impact on the society
    cannot be quashed in exercise of powers under Section 482 of
    the Code, on the ground that the parties have resolved their
    entire dispute amongst themselves. However, the High Court
                                                       NA528 No. 30256 of 2025
                             3


    would not rest its decision merely because there is a mention
    of Section 307 IPC in the FIR or the charge is framed under
    this provision. It would be open to the High Court to examine
    as to whether incorporation of Section 307 IPC is there for the
    sake of it or the prosecution has collected sufficient evidence,
    which if proved, would lead to framing the charge under
    Section 307 IPC. For this purpose, it would be open to the
    High Court to go by the nature of injury sustained, whether
    such injury is inflicted on the vital/delegate parts of the body,
    nature of weapons used etc. However, such an exercise by the
    High Court would be permissible only after the evidence is
    collected after investigation and the charge sheet is
    filed/charge is framed and/or during the trial. Such exercise is
    not permissible when the matter is still under investigation.
    Therefore, the ultimate conclusion in paragraphs 29.6 and
    29.7 of the decision of this Court in the case of Narinder Singh
    (supra) should be read harmoniously and to be read as a
    whole and in the circumstances stated hereinabove;

    v) while exercising the power under Section 482 of the Code to
    quash   the   criminal   proceedings     in   respect   of   non-
    compoundable offences, which are private in nature and do
    not have a serious impart on society, on the ground that there
    is a settlement/compromise between the victim and the
    offender, the High Court is required to consider the
    antecedents of the accused; the conduct of the accused,
    namely, whether the accused was absconding and why he was
    absconding, how he had managed with the complainant to
    enter into a compromise etc."

7. In view of the aforesaid facts, since the parties have
amicably settled their dispute outside the Court and
compromise between the parties has already been verified by
the trial Court, the present Application is liable to be allowed.

8. Accordingly, the present Application is allowed and the
entire proceedings of Case No.2421 of 2023 (State Vs.
                                                                                         NA528 No. 30256 of 2025
                                                                    4


                                            Purushottam and others), arising out of Case Crime No. 187 of
                                            2023, under Section 504, 506 I.P.C., P.s. Tharvai, district
                                            Prayagraj are hereby quashed.



                                                                                         (Madan Pal Singh,J.)
                                    September 8, 2026
                                    Akbar




Digitally signed by :-
MOHAMMAD AKBAR
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad


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