The High Court · 2025

2 The Superintendent of Police Vika ra bad 'Vikarab 3 The Suo Drvrsional Poltce Ofircer' [andur Dtviston Vrkarabad' Drstrtct' 4 The Statrorr House Officer' PeddemLrl Police Statron Vrkarabad Drst s Rornoallv Aruna.w/o Nagabushnath occ House Wrfe Rio Nagulapally - ,,ipedoernLrl mdl Vikarabad dtst' ad Dtstrtct' ...RESPONDENTS Petitron trnder Arttcle 226 of the Constitution of Indra praying that in the crrclrlstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith the Hrgh Court may be pleased to rssue an appropriate writ' order or dlrection or rnore particularly one in the nature of \l/rrl of [t4andamus declaring the action of the Respondent No 4 regrstertng crime in Cr' No' 51 of 2017 for the alleged offences under section 498- A.313,506 rlo 34 lP O ancj 3(1)(0(s)(z)and3(2)(v) of S C-S T, PreVention of Atrocities Act 1989 amendment in 2015 and quash the same by declarrng the same as arbltrary, unlust, dlscrlminatory and also in Violation of Arlrcle 21 of Constitution of Ind ia. l.A. NO: 1 CF 2017 WPI'v'lP. NO: 22049 OF ?017 Pe t,t the affrii a v ' St a,, r'j i ,1 . ll i: s t-r o 'r ci,: r 31-r 505 r,ralCr :i, r: t 1)f , ? ln ;t tl-r:! ari'l' .ir,:it ''.4 ;, 1- r, a '1ii--.' [ ]lr l Atroc t es A 1rr r' 'iin, rlPfi :-.;a,,, ng that r the crrc,-rrstar ies stated rrl r)et11 Jr thc High {lourt ma\/ be pieased to grant L, '.. I 5l li 20 17 .rl tlre i , .)f tne -1lh I i.,r lfr-- a leged irifences r,nder si,r;t on dgB A ,rr,q ., & 3 t),, .,1 of S t) S T l)ieventron of .'.j i i, I r ii.e tntertt. t of lrrsttc: lA NO: 2 OF 2019 Petrt .;. lirCcr :jjal,or '| 1 ,.)P('. lrai rrg that I the ctrcuntsta:rces staled l-l the affrdav t :,1.,:l l r. illl()r , r :lra it,.iriijir the ll f h Court may be pleased to extenii the -i,r,' or j.,r r,;ir,:i' .., ts .tr t,':..i rn \Ii i'}NO 18157 ol 2017 dated 09/06/2017 Counsel fcr- thc Petitrcrier: MS AKULA SUNITHA Counsel for the Responderts No 1 To 4: GP FOR IIOME Counsel for the Respondcrt No 5: ----- The Court made the fcllowing: ORDER THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N. TUKARAMJI WRIT PETITION No.18057 OF 2017 ORDER Thrs Writ Petrtron is frled with the follovring relief J.) /.s.,ii/a-' '.'.rtl ctrciet ot dtcclD) lttore l)aiEttlarly t)t)c lt llta r,)iUtc of'//rit ctf l\,4attdartttrs rici,'/ate l/te ):t)Ott ,)' i,t.ipa)/)a/Ci li NO 1 itt rcqlStCt !)'-i t)tltIl(.i ','t 51 ,ti 2C17 fo il)a alleqci! offettr:t::; Ltnder -ir:r;trorr 193'A 313 506 te.td tlt!tl) 31 IPC; and 3(1)(r)(\tt:)!.3(2)(1.') oI SC S T PreveitDtt of 41/.)cill(rs ,1,)a 1989 ttnettrltttettl ttt 2C15 att{l ./L/.r.J/l i/)'-r ..rrlt' bi tl, '.;litttu g l/ie .sa/)le .js /i/cEIal trltttrary r//ytl.s1. t!tscritrttrtitktry artd also ttt . taiatr;n oi Arttclt: 21 \)f Consll!utrct1 of lttdta 21 1"4s. Akula Sunrtha. learned counsel for the petrtrci'er submrts that tire present wr lt petitlon has been filed assailirtg the actron of resporrdent No. 4 in regislering Crime No 51 of 201 7. wherein the petittoner lras been arrayed as Accused No. 5 and seeking quashment of the criminal proceedings initiated against 2 2. lt is further submitted that thrs Court, by lnterim order dated 10 04,2019. granted stay of all further proceedings against the petitioner ln the meantinre the said crime was taken cognlzance aca rrsi i\r:c ..: I Nlcs 1 lo I cLrlrninatir[r in Sessrons Case No 16-, ,rr .1. rar',)r ,- i,ra .rorlll-ieill Co-,.i Upon fuli,fleclged trial lhe earrtt:.,r )l:ssiJirs .rudge l.ry ltl0gr,rent daterd 14 10 2019 a:it;s::l A 1 t. .q4 r h. drng thal they were not ac I rIttea al ''a gtril:y of tl: , 'f.,-irr--es ir-rrr shrl): Lrncler S,:ctrons 498 A. 313, and 507 read rr; ilr l',4 of ihe lndran Penal Code 1860, and Sections 3r 1'(r)is) 1''r, .11l'1y;1 r of the Sciredirierl Castes and Scheduled Tr i.-:e s r Pre,i: rtron oi /\lrocttte-sr Antendli. ;nt Act. 2015 23 Learl..l rDuirSi.l 5,tl)lt i.-r:|r:tt th". -etttioner. arrayed as A5 was rrot rr rr':ta sl.rr!iat- ira: were any specific or direct allegatrons rlacle aqarnst hrrr Hence ir light of the acquittal of the prrncipa rccused on the sanre set of allegations and absence of any rndef .ndent rrcirr-rtrnatrnq rnater;,.ti aga{nst the petitioner slre ptays t r.li tr)e u,.ceerl :.ls be ra sheci :s continuation thereof woLririanroLrnt to abtrsi: of oroce,cs of law 2 4 Learnt d c()rrnsei further places reliance on the recent jirdgnrent of the Hon blc Supreme Corrrt rn f)radrrya Pranlat Krtlkarnt y .l/ale of f\laltarasltt t 2025 SCC OnLine SC 1948 wherein it was held that so long as cognrzance of the offence has not been takan a petrtron under Article il26 of the Constitution of 3 lndia for quashment of cr mrnal proceedings rs maintainable The Hon ble Courl clarified that once cognizance rs taken. the accused nrust invoke the power of the Courl under Sectron 528 of the Bharatrya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhrta. 2A23 (BNSS) lcorresponding to Section 482 of the Cr P.C tto seek quashment As the record ind c3tes tlrat no cogntzance was taken against the petrtroner. she prays for quashing of the proceedings by invoktng thrs Court s extracrdrnary lunsdictron under Artrcle 226 of the Constitution of lnd ra

3. Learned Assistant Covernment Pleader for Honre subtlttts lhat the present petition was filed by the petitioner/Accused No 5 at the crime stage. and that this Court, by order dated 27 122021 granted stay of all further proceedings against her He further submrts that the charge sheet was filed only against Accused Nos 1 to 4. and the learned Magtstrate took cognizance onty agarnst them lt is farrly admitted that the Sessions Case No 180 of 2019. arisrng out of the sard crime, has ended in acquittal on merits. and therefore prays for passing approprrate orders it't light of the subsequent developments

4. lhave carefully perused the material placed on record. 4 ir. A perLl,;ri ;r lDe aoirDiall,t lo.iged b',7 the defacto cotlttlarf ant rasfli)ir.l .,r: I'J aJ rev.:r - allcl.rl ons that her husbanrl and'rrs farl :,, rirers harassr I irer orr ,rccor-rnt cf her caste and caL seil :r :r \rrarrLaqe lt rs a ,,gecl thal the petrtroner who s the h-isl:nJ rf i,a conrola r):r.1 s srster 3l:rlg with other accrsed. pal r;ioaterl acts of harar,.lrtent ai,d hurnr ration Specrfically ihe rei--r i alle!:s thal .!r 21, i2 20i6 the cornplainant 'Jas tali.r" tc tl-,.; ioLrse .-ri her. r la'r,rs by her lrusband hrs rel;rlrv.., .rn.:i lle )e1 i .ne; she was ltttr-nt rated tit'lte iti]lrti- .rl :r.r-sta.. air'-l til ?arif li'rl 'JL D;eqr-rently 25 A1 .2017, rt rs allegcl; lhat the iir-laws and the petrtioner forced her to unde.rgo .rn ,rfiortrol by th!!.ttentnQ hr-,r with dire cortsequencei. and th, ircxt ,l: / her lr -isi:an,i adminrstered potsoned rrilk leadinrl 1o abdonr nal pa n rnd nrisc rirraqe 6 A carefLtl eaclri'rr-r of the altovi: rrr;ltenai rndtcates that no Specific ol direci arlleg.)tron has i;een ai1:rb,,rtecj trr the pet tioner The allegattons are vague and general ln natrlre. prirrarily directed aga nst the conrplairrant s husband and his rmmediate famiiy members. Furtlrer it is undispLrted that the principal accused (A1 to 44) aganst rlhonr alleqations vr'ere nrade with sonre detail have beer acquriied cn merits after full trial 5 lt/oreover. rt is an admitted fact that no cognizance has been taken agarnst the petrtroner due to tne interinr stay granted by this Court 7 In vrew of lhese facts and crrcumstances, and considering that (i) the allegations agarnst the petitioner are unspecific and unsubstantiated, trr) the r-ratn acc,.tsed have been acquitted on identical evrdence. and (rrrl no cogntzance has been taken against the petitroner, contrnuation of prcceedings against him would serve no fruitful pur pose anci wouid amount to abuse of the orocess of iaw B Reliance is placed on the wel!-settled principles laid down by the Hon ble Supreme CoLrrt in S/ate of Haryana v Bhaian Lal [(1992 Supp (1)SCC 335)] wherein it was held that the inherent or extraordinary lurisdictron to quash criminal proceedings must be exercrsed to prevent miscarrrage of justice, particularly when the allegations do not drsciose any offence or when continuation of proceedings would amount to abuse of process 9 Accordingly, this CoLrrt finds it a fit case to exercise its lurisdiction under Artrcle 226 of the Constitution of lndia to secure the ends of justice 10 In the result, all further proceedings aqainst ihe petrtroner in Clr-.re No 5. af 2:01i are he.et,,.., qrraSl'eaj ancl .:ccordrn; !, this Writ Pct tion stands aiio,rued. il.cre sha I oe no or(tei as tc,.osts l.lrscellaneo-rs petrtons i a:y. penCinq rn tl-e I)etrtrorr shall sta nd closed SD/-A. JAYASREE ASSISTANT REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// SECTION OFFICER To r Tite [)rrnc Dal SeCretary. l]orlrt: D.-'c: 'rletlt Sr lt: rlf i'': ltrtlatl:t ij:ttetarlat !lyderab:t1 2 The SLtp:i ntendent cf Pol ce Vrkarabarl Vrkarabad Dlst:tct' .l The Sub Divtsional P':lice Off cer ta^4 rr [)tvts on VrkaraDad Drsir]ct -i I he Stalrorr Hotlse Offtcer Prddeiri'l t'cl1ce Siat on' Vt<i:lab:td L'1t';t : On: CC ir [,4 S qKULA SUNITHA Aovc''cate i''PUCI i I wo CCs to GP FOR HOfulE Hrgh Ci-''lrt f or t re :ltate 1rf f 3l21lgnla at llyoerabad [OUT] 7 Two CD CoPtes l) \\ It: \! HIGH COURT DATED i1611O12025 ORDER WP.No.18057 of 2017 :'li:- S 2I I'II\R ,3 :-) \ * ALLOWING THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT COSTS au\'\ \( -{+G