High Court · 2025

Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRASDATED: 12.02.2025CORAM:THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYANCrl.O.P.No. 3624 of 2025andCrl.M.P.No.2377 of 20251. Rajamanickam2. Kayalvizhi3. Lalitha.....PetitionersVs1. State Rep.By The Inspector of Police, All Women Police Station, Rasipuram, Namakkal District.2. Bhuvaneswari.....Respondent PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 528 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, to call for the records and quash the FIR in Crime No.16 of 2024 dated 29.08.2024 on the file of the 1st respondent police as far as the petitioner is concerned.For Petitioners : Mr.P.K.GaneshFor R1 : Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan Government Advocate (Crl.Side)Page 1 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025O R D E RThis Criminal Original Petition has been filed to quash the FIR in Crime No.16 of 2024 registered on the file of the respondent police for the offence under Sections 294(b), 323, 498(A) and 506(i) of IPC and Section 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.2. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, the learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) appearing for the first respondent and perused the materials available on record.3. The case of the prosecution is that the first accused got married the second respondent on 31.08.2022. At the time of marriage, the parents of the second respondent presented 30 sovereigns of gold jewels and Rs.50,000/- in cash. After 15 days of the marriage, the first accused gone to Sweden and the second respondent lived in the matrimonial home. Subsequently, the petitioners demanded more dowry, harassed the second respondent and driven out from the matrimonial home. Thereafter, on 07.11.2022, the second respondent returned to the matrimonial home with police protection and collected her belongings. Later, she again visited the matrimonial home along with her relatives for Page 2 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025a panchayat, during which the petitioners allegedly used abusive language and unparliamentary words against her. Hence, the complaint.4.It is seen from the First Information Report that there are specific allegations as against the petitioners to attract the offence, which has to be investigated in depth. Further the FIR is not an encyclopedia and it need not contain all facts and it cannot be quashed in the threshold. This Court finds that the FIR discloses prima facie commission of cognizable offence and as such this Court cannot interfere with the investigation. The investigating machinery has to step in to investigate, grab and unearth the crime in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the Code. 5. The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India passed in the judgment reported in 2019 (14) SCC 350 in the case of Sau. Kamal Shivaji Pokarnekar vs. The State of Maharashtra & ors., (Crl.A.No.255 of 2019 dated 12.02.2019 ) held that the learned Magistrate while taking cognizance and summoning, is required to apply his judicial mind only with the view to taking cognizance of the offence whether a prima facie case has been made out for summoning the Page 3 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025accused person. The learned Magistrate is not required to evaluate the merits of the materials or evidence in support of the complaint, because the Magistrate must not undertake the exercise to find out whether the materials would lead to conviction or not. Only in a case where the complaint does not disclose any offence or is frivolous, vexatious or oppressive, the complaint/FIR can be taken for consideration for quashment. If the allegations set out in the complaint do not constitute the offence of which cognizance has been taken by Magistrate, it can be considered for quashment. Therefore, it is not necessary that a meticulous analysis of the case should be done before the trial to find out whether the case would end in conviction or acquittal. If it appears on a reading of the complaint and consideration of the allegations therein, in the light of the statement made on oath that the ingredients of the offence are disclosed, there would be no justification to interfere. At the initial stage of issuance of process, it is no open to the Court to stifle the proceedings by entering into the merits of the contentions made on behalf of the accused. Therefore, the criminal complaint cannot be quashed only on the ground that the allegations made therein appear to be of a civil nature. If the ingredients of the offence alleged against the accused are prima facie made out in the complaint, the criminal proceeding shall not Page 4 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025be interdicted.6.Further the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India issued directions in the judgment reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 315 in the case of M/s.Neeharika Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., Vs. State of Maharashtra & ors., as follows :-“23. .................... vi) Criminal proceedings ought not to be scuttled at the initial stage;vii) Quashing of a complaint/FIR should be an exception rather than an ordinary rule;..............xii) The first information report is not an encyclopaedia which must disclose all facts and details relating to the offence reported. Therefore, when the investigation by the police is in progress, the court should not go into the merits of the allegations in the FIR. Police must be permitted to complete the investigation. It would be premature to pronounce the conclusion based on hazy facts that the complaint/FIR does not deserve to be investigated or that it amounts to abuse of process of law. After investigation, if the investigating officer finds that there is no substance in the application made by the complainant, the Page 5 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025investigating officer may file an appropriate report/summary before the learned Magistrate which may be considered by the learned Magistrate in accordance with the known procedure;.............xv) When a prayer for quashing the FIR is made by the alleged accused and the court when it exercises the power under Section 482 Cr.P.C., only has to consider whether the allegations in the FIR disclose commission of a cognizable offence or not. The court is not required to consider on merits whether or not the merits of the allegations make out a cognizable offence and the court has to permit the investigating agency/police to investigate the allegations in the FIR; .......”7.In view of the above discussions, this Court is not inclined to quash the First Information Report. However, the first respondent is directed to complete the investigation in Crime No.16 of 2024 and file a final report within a period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this Order, before the jurisdiction Magistrate, if not already filed.8.Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition stands Page 6 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025dismissed. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.12.02.2025Index: Yes/NoNeutral citation: Yes/NoSpeaking/non-speaking orderLppTo1. The Inspector of Police, All Women Police Station, Rasipuram, Namakkal District.2. The Public Prosecutor,High Court, Madras.G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.Page 7 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Crl.O.P.No.3624 of 2025LppCrl.O.P.No.3624 of 202512.02.2025Page 8 of 8