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Nadeem Ahmad vs The State Of U.P

Supreme Court7 May 2025

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

Where a criminal case arises from a single incident and contains both compoundable and non-compoundable offences, the Supreme Court may exercise its power under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash proceedings relating to the non-compoundable offences where the complainant and accused have arrived at a settlement, the complainant has withdrawn the case and consents to quashing, and the compoundable offences arising from the same incident have already been compounded under Section 320 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in order to secure complete justice between the parties.

Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.

Judgment

As delivered

2025 INSC 659 NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. OF 2025 (@SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (Crl.) NO. 12088 OF 2022)

NADEEM AHMAD ...APPELLANT(S)

VERSUS

THE STATE OF U.P. & ANR. ….RESPONDENT(S)

O R D E R

Leave granted.

2. Being aggrieved by the order dated 14.10.2022 passed by

the Allahabad High Court in Application under Section 482 No.

18087/2021, the appellant has preferred this appeal.

3. By the aforesaid order, the plea of the appellant herein

under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking quashing of the charge

sheet dated 15.01.2020 and Summoning Order dated 14.11.2020 in

Criminal Case No.237/9 of 2020 (State of4 U.P. vs. Nadeem)

arising out of Case Crime No.415/2019 registered under Sections

323, 504, 324, 427, 447 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860

(IPC), Police Station - Shahganj, District - Jaunpur pending

before the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Court Signature Not Verified Digitally signed by NEETU SACHDEVA Date: 2025.05.09 16:51:48 IST Reason: No.17, Jaunpur, has been dismissed. Hence, this appeal. 1

4. We have heard learned counsel for the appellant, learned

standing counsel appearing for respondent no.1/State as well as

learned counsel for respondent no.2.

5. Learned counsel for the appellant submitted that during the

pendency of this matter before this Court, the parties, namely,

the appellant and respondent no.2 herein have arrived at a

settlement inasmuch as the parties do not wish to proceed

against each other in the cases that they have filed against

each other; that respondent no. 2 shall continue to remain as a

tenant of the appellant on payment of rents on a regular basis.

In the circumstances, the parties have decided to seek quashing

of Case Crime No.415/2019 filed by respondent no.2 against the

appellant herein. He submitted that in support of the said

application which has been filed by the respondent no.2 under

Article 142 of the Constitution of India, affidavit(s) of

respondent no.2 as well as of the appellant have been filed.

They have resolved to put an end to all litigation and disputes

between them so as to continue their relationship peacefully as

landlord and tenant. In the circumstances, appropriate orders

may be made on the said application and relief may be granted

to the appellant herein by setting aside the impugned order.

6. Learned counsel for respondent no.2 endorsed the submissions

made by learned counsel for the appellant and contended that

this Court may accept the prayers made by respondent no.2 by

treating the same as one being under Section 320 of the Code of

2 Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short, “Crpc”) and consequently

grant the relief by exercising powers under Article 142 of the

Constitution of India.

7. Learned standing counsel for respondent no.1/State

submitted that having regard to the plea made by respondent

no.2/complainant and the submissions advanced at the Bar,

appropriate orders may be made.

8. We have perused the application filed under Article 142 of

the Constitution of India by respondent no.2 as well as the

affidavit(s) supporting the same. We have also perused the

affidavit(s) filed by the appellant herein and the list of

cases and counter-cases which have already been settled between

the parties. The application filed under Article 142 reads as

under:

“APPLICATION FOR DISPOSAL OF CASE UNDER ARTICLE 142, CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:

1. That the present case arises out of Case Crime No. 415 of 2019 lodged Under Section 307, 323, 504, 324, 427, 447 & 506-IPC, PS- Shahganj, Jaunpur pending before ACJM-I, Jaunpur, U.P.

2. That the petitioner and respondent No.2 family members have amicably resolved all their disputes and differences, and a settlement agreement dated 03.02.2025 has been entered into between the parties. True translated copy of agreement dated 03.02.2025 is annexed herewith as ANNEXURE A-1 [PAGE NO.6-11].

3. That it is respectfully submitted that one suit of small causes Suit No. 04/2021 pertaining to arrears of rent was pending before Civil Judge Jaunpur in which settlement agreement is filed

3 with regard to creation of new tenancy. True translated copy of the settlement agreement dated 17.02.2024 filed before Civil Judge, Senior Division, Jaunpur, U.P is filed herewith as ANNEXURE A-2. [PAGE NO. 12-18].

4. That it is humbly submitted that the aforesaid Suit No. 04/2021 is withdrawn before Lok Adalat vide order dated 09.03.2024. True translated copy of the order dated 09.03.2024 passed in suit no. 04/2021 is annexed herewith as ANNEXURE A-3 [PAGE NO. 19-23].

5. That it is humbly submitted that one suit of cancellation of sale deed, Regular Suit No. 637 of 2018 titled as Sabir Ahmad v. Abdul Rahim and ors. was also pending between the parties before Civil Court, Jaunpur which have been withdrawn on 09.03.2024. The order dated 09.03.2024 passed by Civil judge, Jaunpur in Suit No. 637 of 2018 is annexed as herewith as ANNEXURE NO.A-4 [PAGE NO. 24-27].

6. That it is humbly submitted that the petitioner has lodged Case crime no. 416 of 2019, u/s 323, 504, 506 & 427-IPC against the Respondent No.2 in which petitioner has filed application u/s 320 for compounding of offenses on the basis of settlement arrived between the parties wherein the ACJM Court has compounded the criminal proceedings vide order dated 20.08.2014. True copy of order dated 20.08.2024 passed by ACJM-V, Jaunpur acquitting the Respondent No.2 in case crime no. 416 of 2019, u/s 323, 504, 506 & 427-

IPC is annexed herewith as ANNEXURE A-5. [PAGE NO. 28-33]

7. That the respondent/complainant does not wish to pursue the criminal proceedings any further and has no objection if the FIR and all subsequent proceedings arising therefrom are quashed.

8. That the parties have entered into the settlement voluntarily, without any coercion or undue influence, and in the interest of peace and harmony.

9. That it is, therefore, in the interest of justice that this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution and quash the criminal proceedings to secure complete justice between the parties.

PRAYER

In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that this Hon'ble Court

4 may graciously be pleased to:

A) Quash Case Crime No. 415 of 2019 lodged Under Section- 307, 323, 504, 324, 427, 447 & 506-IPC, P.S- Shahganj, Jaunpur pending before ACJM-I, Jaunpur, U.P the and all consequential proceedings arising therefrom in the interest of justice;

B) Pass such other or further orders as may be deemed just and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case.

AND FOR THIS ACT OF KINDNESS, THE APPLICANT SHALL, AS IN DUTY BOUND, EVER PRAY.”

The said application is self-explanatory.

9. It is only one case, namely, Case Crime No.415/2019 which

is now pending before the concerned Sessions Court. We also

find that Sections 323, 504, 427, 447 and 506 of the IPC are

compoundable offences as per Section 320 of the CrPC. We find

that the chargesheet may have also been filed under Sections

307 and 324 of the IPC which are non-compoundable offences. But

having regard to the fact that these offences arise from the

same incident and certain of these offences are now being

compounded having regard to the prayers made by the respective

parties, we find that in exercise of our powers under Article

142 of the Constitution of India, the offences alleged against

the appellant herein under Sections 307 and 324 IPC shall also

be quashed as the other offences alleged against the appellant

herein are compoundable under Section 320 of the CrPC.

10. Consequently, we accept the prayers sought for by

5 respondent no.2 and allow the application filed under Article

142 of the Constitution of India. Consequently, the proceedings

in Case Crime No.415/2019 under Sections 307, 323, 504, 324,

427, 447 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), Police

Station - Shahganj, District - Jaunpur pending in the Court of

learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Court No.17, Jaunpur stand

quashed. As a result, the impugned order is set aside.

11. The appeal is allowed and disposed of in the aforesaid

terms.

Pending application (s) shall stand disposed of.

………………………………………………………………J. (B.V. NAGARATHNA)

………………………………………………………………J. (SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA) NEW DELHI;

MAY 07, 2025.

6 7

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