Girija B v. State of Karnataka

NC:(2025:KHC:54596( CRL.P(No.(7927(of(2025( C/W(CRL.P(No.(17243(of(2025( , ,,HC-KAR( ( ( IN(THE(HIGH(COURT(OF(KARNATAKA(AT(BENGALURU(

THDATED(THIS(THE(19 (DAY(OF(DECEMBER,(2025(

BEFORE( THE(HON'BLE(MR.(JUSTICE(MOHAMMAD(NAWAZ( CRIMINAL(PETITION(NO.(7927(OF(2025((482(Cr.PC)(/( 528(BNSS))( C/W( CRIMINAL(PETITION(NO.(17243(OF(2025((482(Cr.PC)(/( 528(BNSS))( ( IN(CRL.P(No.(7927/2025( BETWEEN:(( (

1., GIRIJA,B,

WIFE,OF,MR.,JAYARAM.H,

AGED,ABOUT,66,YEARS, RESIDING,AT,CHELLAMMA,KRUPA,,, TH7 ,CROSS,,GANGOTHRI,ROAD,,,

Digitally TUMKUR,,, signedtiby SUMA BANGALORE,-,572,103., Location: High0Court , of0Karnataka

2., JAYARAM,H.C,, SON,OF,LATE,CHALLAIAH,, AGED,ABOUT,71,YEARS, RESIDING,AT,,CHELLAMMA,KRUPA,,, TH7 ,CROSS,,GANGOTHRI,ROAD,,, GANGOTH,,KUVEMPU,NAGAR,,, TUMKUR,, BANGALORE,-,572,103, (AS,PER,FIR)., , NC:(2025:KHC:54596( CRL.P(No.(7927(of(2025( C/W(CRL.P(No.(17243(of(2025( , ,,HC-KAR( ( ( (AS,PER,AADHAR), H.C.,JAYARAMA, S/O,LATE,CHALLAIAH, 01,,HUCHAYANADODDI,,CHANNAPATNA, TALUKU,,VIRUPAKSHIPURA,,HOBALI, KODAMBALLI,,RAMANAGAR, KARNATAKA,-,562,138., …PETITIONERS, , (BY,SRI.,SHASHANK,NAGENDRAN,,ADVOCATE), ( AND:( (

1., STATE,OF,KARNATAKA, BY,SOUTH,EAST,WOMEN,, POLICE,STATION, BENGALURU,CITY,, REPRESENTED,BY, THE,STATE,PUBLIC,PROSECUTOR,, HIGH,COURT,BUILDINGS,, BENGALURU,-,560,001., ,

2., SMT.,PRARTHANA,M, WIFE,OF,SRI.,MANJU,DARSHAN,,, AGED,ABOUT,25,YEARS,,, RESIDING,AT,NO.,154,,, TH4 ,MAIN,ROAD,,, HVR,LAYOUT,,, BENGALURU,-,560,079, …RESPONDENTS, (BY,SRI.,RAHUL,RAI,K,,HCGP,FOR,R1;, ,,,,,,SRI.,NAVEEN,N,,ADVOCATE,FOR,R2), , NC:(2025:KHC:54596( CRL.P(No.(7927(of(2025( C/W(CRL.P(No.(17243(of(2025( , ,,HC-KAR( ( ( , THIS,CRL.P,IS,FILED,U/S,482,OF,CR.PC,(FILED,U/S,528, BNNS),PRAYING,TO,QUASH,THE,FIR,IN,CR.NO.14/2025,WAS, REGISTERED,BY,THE,RESPONDENT,POLICE,ON,13.03.2025,ON, THE,BASIS,OF,A,COMPLAINT,LODGED,BY,SMT.PRARTHANA.M, THE,RESPONDENT,NO.2,HEREIN,FOR,THE,OFFENCE,P/U/S,85, OF, THE, BNS, AND, SEC.3,, 4, OF, D.P, ACT, AS, AGAINST, THE, PETITIONERS.,, , IN(CRL.P(NO.(17243/2025, BETWEEN:,

1., MR.,MANJU,DARSHAN, SON,OF,MR.,H.C.,JAYARAM,,, AGED,ABOUT,31,YEARS,,, RESIDING,AT,CHALLAMMA,KRUPA,,, TH7 ,CROSS,GANGOTHRI,ROAD,,, TUMKUR,,, BANGALORE,-,572,103., ,

2., MRS.,NANDINI,CHETAN, WIFE,OF,MR.,CHETAN,,, AGED,ABOUT,43,YEARS,,, RESIDING,AT,CHALLAMMA,KRUPA,,, TH7 ,CROSS,,GANGOTHRI,ROAD,,, TUMKUR,,, BANGALORE,-,572,103., ...PETITIONERS, (BY,SRI.,SHASHANK,NAGENDRAN,,ADVOCATE), NC:(2025:KHC:54596( CRL.P(No.(7927(of(2025( C/W(CRL.P(No.(17243(of(2025( , ,,HC-KAR( ( ( AND:,

1., STATE,OF,KARNATAKA, BY,SOUTH,EAST,WOMEN,POLICE,STATION,, BENGALURU,CITY,,, REPRESENTED,BY,, THE,STATE,PUBLIC,PROSECUTOR,,, HIGH,COURT,BUILDINGS,,, BENGALURU,-,560,001., ,

2., SMT.,PRARTHANA,M, WIFE,OF,SRI,MANJU,DARSHAN,,, AGED,ABOUT,25,YEARS,,, RESIDING,AT,NO.,154,, TH4 ,MAIN,ROAD,,, HVR,LAYOUT,,, BENGALURU., ...RESPONDENTS, (BY,SRI.,RAHUL,RAI,K,,HCGP,FOR,R1;, ,,,,,,SRI.,NAVEEN,N,,ADVOCATE,FOR,R2), , ,,,,,,,THIS, CRL.P, IS, FILED, U/S, 482, OF, CR.P.C, (U/S, 528, BNSS), PRAYING, TO, QUASH, THE, FIR, IN, CR.NO.14/2025, DTD,13.03.2025,ON,THE,BASIS,OF,A,COMPLAINT,LODGED, BY, SMT., PRARTHANA.M, THE, RESPONDENT, NO.2, HEREIN,, FOR,THE,OFFENCE,P/U/S,85,OF,BNS,,U/S,3,AND,4,OF,D.P, ACT,AS,AGAINST,THE,PETITIONERS., , THESE, PETITIONS,, COMING, ON, FOR, ADMISSION,, THIS, DAY,,ORDER,WAS,MADE,THEREIN,AS,UNDER:, CORAM:, HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,MOHAMMAD,NAWAZ, ,

ORAL ORDER

Both these petitions arise out of FIR in Crime No.14/2025 of South East Women Police Station, registered on a complaint lodged by respondent No.2.

¶2FIR is registered for the offences punishable under Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNS, 2023') and under Section 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (for short 'D.P.Act').

¶3Applications are filed in both petitions to permit the parties to compound the offence on the ground of settlement and to quash the proceedings. Applications are accompanied with the joint affidavits of the parties. It is stated that the parties have resolved their differences amicably and respondent No.2/defacto complainant has compromised the matter in terms of mediation/settlement/agreement.

¶4It is necessary to extract Paragraph Nos.1 to 6 of the joint affidavit, which reads as under:

"1. We, the Deponents No. 01 and 02 are the Petitioners and the Respondent No. 02 in the above Petition respectively. We are well conversant with the facts and circumstances of the above case and we are competent to swear to this affidavit.

¶2The Deponent Nos. 01 and 02 have filed the above case, for quashing of the FIR in Cr. No. 14/2025 registered by the South East Women Police Station, Bengaluru City on 13.03.2025 on the basis of complaint lodged by the Respondent No. 02 herein for the offences punishable under Sections 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhitha and Sections 03, 04 of the DP Act as against the Petitioners.

¶3The Deponents have now resolved their differences amicably with respect to the instant Petition and that Respondent No. has compromised the instant matter in terms of the Mediation Settlement Agreement dated 17.12.2025 arrived at in MC No. 1372/2025 on the file of the Hon'ble VI Additional Family judge, at Bengaluru. The Respondent No. 02 also state that the said decision has been taken without any threat or coercion or undue influence and has stated that the matter has been settled out of her own free will.

¶4The Deponents No. 01 and 02 have reached a settlement with Deponent No. 03. Deponent No. 03

gives her unequivocal and free consent that she no longer wishes to pursue the said case in Cr. No. 14/2025 registered by the South East Women Police Station, Bengaluru City on 13.03.2025, and that she has no objection to the quashing of the said case, and the proceedings emanating therefrom.

¶5The Respondent No. 02 has further agreed to withdraw all proceedings arising out of the said matrimonial dispute, including any proceedings initiated by her for recovery of maintenance, and has also agreed before the competent Court for dissolution of the marriage.

¶6In view of the amicable resolution of disputes between the Deponents, it is humbly prayed that this is a fit and proper case for this Hon'ble Court to exercise its inherent power to quash and set aside the case and the proceedings emanating therefrom."

¶5The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Jitendra Raghuvanshi and others v. Babita Raghuvanshi and another reported in 2013(2) Crimes 90(SC), has held that 'the inherent powers of the High Court under Section 482 of Cr.P.C., are wide and unfettered. It is the duty of the Courts to encourage

genuine settlements of matrimonial disputes, particularly, when the same are on considerable increase. Even if the offences are non-compoundable, if they relate to matrimonial disputes and the Court is satisfied that, the parties have settled the same amicably and without any pressure, for the purpose of securing the ends of justice, Section 320 of the Code, would not be a bar to the exercise of power of quashing of FIR.

¶6The matter arises out of a matrimonial dispute, wherein, the parties have amicably settled their disputes, in terms of the settlement/agreement entered before the Family Court, Bengaluru in M.C.No.1372/2025.

¶7Respondent No.2, present before the Court submits that in view of the settlement, she is not interested in pursuing the matter any further and she has no objection to quash the proceedings.

¶8In light of the above, no purpose will be served in continuing the proceedings initiated against the petitioners. To meet the ends of justice, it is just and proper to quash the proceedings. Accordingly, the following: ORDER

(i) Petitions are allowed;

(ii) The FIR in Crime No.14/2025 pending on the file of South East Women Police Station, Bengaluru City and also consequential proceedings arising therein pending on the file of XXIX A.C.J.M, Bengaluru, are quashed.

Sd/- (MOHAMMAD NAWAZ) JUDGE

SMJ; List No.: 1 Sl No.: 17