Krishnakant Kwivedy vs State Of Chhattisgarh

2025 INSC 958 NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. _______OF 2025 [ARISING OUT OF SLP (Crl.) NO. 3037 OF 2025]

KRISHNAKANT KWIVEDY & ANOTHER …APPELLANTS

VERSUS

STATE OF CHHATTISGARH & OTHERS …RESPONDENTS

JUDGMENT

1. Leave granted.

2. The challenge in this criminal appeal is to the judgment and order dated

20th August, 2024 passed by the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur1.

By the impugned order, which was passed on a petition under Section

482, Code of Criminal Procedure, 19732, the High Court quashed

proceedings arising out of a First Information Report3 dated 29th

November, 2016, bearing no. 608 of 2016 registered at Police Station –

Mohan Nagar, lodged by the 1st appellant against the 2nd to 4th Signature Not Verified Digitally signed by JATINDER KAUR Date: 2025.08.11 18:34:41 IST Reason: 1 impugned order 2 Cr. PC 3 FIR respondents for offences under Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition

Act, 19614.

3. While the 2nd appellant is the daughter of the 1st appellant, the 2nd, 3rd

and 4th respondents are the father, mother and brother, respectively, of

the 5th respondent.

4. The FIR was duly investigated, whereupon charge-sheet no.116/2018

dated 27th May, 2018 under Section 173(2), Cr. PC for the aforesaid

offences was filed before the trial court.

5. It is not in dispute that the 1st appellant and the 2nd respondent had

engaged in negotiations for solemnisation of marriage between the 2nd

appellant and the 5th respondent. However, such negotiations did not lead

to the marriage. It was alleged in the FIR that the negotiations failed

because of the inability of the 1st appellant to meet the continuous

demands for dowry raised by the 2nd respondent and the co-accused.

6. A Division Bench of the High Court recorded in paragraph ‘13’ of the

impugned order that the allegations contained in the FIR, even if they

are taken at their face value and accepted in their entirety, do not prima

facie constitute an offence under Sections 3 and 4 of the 1961 Act against

the 1st to 3rd petitioners before it (2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents herein) as

the allegations “are vague and omnibus in nature and no specific

allegations are made against them”. However, the allegations levelled

against the 5th respondent did not warrant quashing of the FIR insofar as

he is concerned. Accordingly, in exercise of inherent powers, the FIR was

4 1961 Act

2 quashed qua the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, while it was sustained qua

the 5th respondent.

7. We have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the

impugned order together with the FIR to ascertain as to whether the

allegations levelled by the 1st appellant in the FIR did disclose any offence

alleged to have been committed by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents under

the 1961 Act, and also as to whether the High Court was justified in

returning the findings it did.

8. Inter alia, the direct allegations against the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents

appearing from the FIR are noted below:

i. After the 5th respondent had met the 2nd appellant on 15th April,

2016 and expressed his willingness to marry her, the 4 th

respondent came to Durg on 4th June, 2016 to talk about the

marriage and suddenly started asking for Rs. 10 lakh in marriage

and a vehicle.

ii. Having claimed Rs. 2 lakh in cash along with clothes, silverware

and other articles, on the day the tilak ceremony was held, i.e.,

10th July, 2016, the 2nd to 5th respondents were given the same by

the 1st appellant as gift.

iii. Consequent to negotiations and upon the date of marriage being

fixed, a venue (Indralok Bhavan) was booked by the 1st appellant

on 18th June, 2016 by paying Rs. 61,000/- as advance. A hotel

(Sheetla) was also booked to accommodate the guests for two days

upon due advance payment.

3 iv. On 21st August, 2016, in course of a telephonic conversation that

the 3rd respondent had with the 1st appellant, she once again

demanded Rs. 10 lakh and a car as dowry. The 1st appellant having

refused to oblige, the 2nd to 5th respondents called off the marriage.

9. Having read the FIR as it is, we do find specific and definite allegations

with particulars of dates and time being disclosed which, prima facie,

contain ingredients of offences allegedly committed by the 2nd, 3rd and

4th respondents punishable under the relevant law. In fact, on a bare

reading of the FIR, we are left to wonder what more was required of the

1st appellant to allege that could, in the view of the High Court, constitute

full and fair disclosure of offences. In view thereof, we are at a total loss

to comprehend as to how the FIR and the consequent proceedings

against the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents could have been quashed by the

High Court holding that the allegations against them are vague and

omnibus in nature.

10. Learned senior counsel appearing for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents did

not seek to justify the impugned order relying on the ground assigned by

the High Court; instead, he sought to contend that the 1st appellant had

made a misrepresentation to the 2nd respondent about the former’s

status. Our attention is drawn to page ‘19’ of the counter affidavit to

buttress the contention regarding misrepresentation. Also, the decision

of this Court in State of Haryana v. Bhajanlal5, is cited and clause 7

5 1992 supp. (1) SCC 335

4 of paragraph 102 thereof relied on to contend that the criminal

proceedings having been manifestly attended with mala fide and

instituted with an ulterior motive for wreaking vengeance, the High Court

was justified in quashing the criminal proceedings.

11. We are in respectful disagreement with the aforesaid contentions for twin

reasons. First, whether or not there has been misrepresentation is

entirely a question of fact which cannot be decided at the stage when the

inherent powers of the High Court are invoked for quashing of an

FIR/criminal proceedings. Such a question obviously has to be left for a

decision at the trial, if at all a defence to that effect is raised, and it would

then be for the trial court to consider the same while it returns its findings

on the question of guilt or otherwise. Secondly, the expression

“manifestly attended with mala fide” following criminal proceedings, as

appearing in clause 7 of paragraph 102 of Bhajanlal (supra) makes the

position clear that mala fide must be manifest on the face of the FIR. The

present case does not fall in that category. Bhajanlal (supra), therefore,

does not aid the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents. Even otherwise, the FIR

and the consequent proceedings were not quashed by the High Court on

the ground that the same were manifestly attended with mala fide or that

the proceedings were maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive for

wreaking vengeance.

12. Having regard to the above, we find little reason to uphold the impugned

order.

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13. The High Court having committed a serious error in entertaining the

petition under Section 482 of the Cr. PC while exercising its inherent

power and having occasioned a grave failure of justice in granting relief

to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, the impugned order stands set aside.

14. The criminal proceedings arising out of the subject FIR shall be taken to

its logical conclusion, in accordance with law.

15. None of the observations made hereinabove shall influence the trial court

while it takes the proceedings further.

16. The appeal, accordingly, stands allowed. No costs.

…………………....…………………J. (DIPANKAR DATTA)

…….…….…..………………………J. (AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH)

NEW DELHI.

AUGUST 08, 2025.

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