Criminal Petition No. 2952 of 2025 · The High Court
Case Details
- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 19TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 2952 OF 2025 BETWEEN: 1. MANJUNATH S/O LATE SIDDAIAH AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS R/AT NO.87, 12 WARD, NAYAKARA BEEDI GUNDLUPETE TALUK CHAMARAJANAGARA-571111 2. KAVYA W/O MANJUNATH AGED ABOUT 29 YEARS R/AT NO.87, 12 WARD, NAYAKARA BEEDI GUNDLUPETE TALUK CHAMARAJANAGARA-571111
Legal Reasoning
(BY SRI. SHARATH J M., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. 2. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY WOMEN POLICE MYSURU CITY REP: BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING, BENGALURU-560001. SRUSHTI W/O VENUGOPALA AGED ABOUT 20 YEARS R/AT NO.L-34, III MAIN, 11TH CROSS, GANDHI NAGARA, MYSURU-570 007. …PETITIONERS …RESPONDENTS Digitally signed by SUMA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR (BY SMT. SOWMYA R., HIGH COURT GOVERNMENT PLEADER FOR RESPONDENT NO.1; NOTICE IS SERVED ON RESPONDENT NO.2 AND UNREPRESENTED) THIS CRL.P IS FILED UNDER SECTION 482 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973 (FILED UNDER SECTION 528 OF THE BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023) PRAYING TO CALL FOR THE RELEVANT RECORDS AND QUASH THE ENTIRE INITIATION OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN C.C.NO.201/2024 ON FILE OF VII ADDL. SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE AND JMFC COURT, MYSURU FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCE UNDER SECTION 498A READ WITH SECTION 34 OF IPC AND SECTION 4 OF DP ACT. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR ORAL ORDER In this petition, the petitioners seek the following reliefs: "a) call for the relevant records; QUASHthe entire initiation of criminal proceedings in C.C No.201/2024 on file of VII ADDL. SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE and J.M.F.C COURT, MYSURU for the alleged offence under section 498(A) R/W 34 IPC and section 4 of DP Act. b) grant such other relief or reliefs as this Hon'ble Court deems fit in the facts and circumstances of the case, in the interest of justice and equity." 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent No.1 and perused the material on record. - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR 3. The respondent No.2 having been served with notice of this petition has chosen to remain unrepresented and has not contested the petition. 4. The complaint reads as under: #26, ¯ÉÃ¥ÁQë ¤®AiÀÄ UÀuÉÃ±ï £ÀUÀgÀ, J£ï.Dgï ªÉƺÀ®è, ªÉÄʸÀÆgÀÄ. "EAzÀ, ¸ÀÈ¶× w/o ªÉÃtÄUÉÆÃ¥Á® 20 ªÀµÀð/ UÀÈ»t # L 34 3rd main 11th cross, UÁA¢ü£ÀUÀgÀ ªÉÄʸÀÆgÀÄ [7483386151] UÉ, oÁuÁ¢üPÁjUÀ¼ÀÄ ªÀÄ»¼Á oÁuÉ, ªÉÄʸÀÆgÀÄ «µÀAiÀÄ: £À£Àß UÀAqÀ ªÉÃtÄUÉÆ¥Á¯ï ªÀÄvÀÄÛ DvÀ£À CtÚ ªÀÄAdÄ£Áxï ªÀÄvÀÄÛ PÁªÀågÀ ªÉÄÃ¯É zÀÆgÀÄ ¤ÃqÀÄwÛgÀĪÀ §UÉÎ. £Á£ÀÄ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ªÉÃtÄUÉÆÃ¥Á¯ï ¥ÀgÀ¸ÀàgÀ ¦æÃw¹ UÀÄgÀÄ»jAiÀÄgÀ M¦àUÉAiÀÄ ªÉÄgÉUÉ ¢:- 19/3/2023 gÀAzÀÄ CªÀÄÈvÉñÀégÀ ¸Áé«Ä zÉêÀ¸ÁÜ£ÀzÀ°è ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀiÁVgÀÄvÉÛªÉ. ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀÄ£ÀÄß EzÀĪÀgÉUÀÆ jf¸ÀÖgï ªÀiÁrgÀĪÀÅ¢®è. ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀÄ £ÀAvÀgÀ £ÁªÀÅ £ÀªÀÄä vÁ¬ÄAiÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°è ªÁ¸À«gÀÄvÉÛªÉ. ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀiÁzÁV¤AzÀ®Æ CªÀgÀÄ £À£À£ÀÄß CªÀgÀ ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ ¸ÉÃj¹gÀĪÀÅ¢®è. CªÀgÀ CtÚ£ÁzÀ ªÀÄAdÄ£Áxï ªÀÄvÀÄÛ CªÀgÀ CwÛUÉ PÁªÀå £À£Àß §UÉÎ E®è¸À®èzÀ DgÉÆÃ¥À ªÀiÁr £À£Àß UÀAqÀ£À vÀ¯É PÉqɹgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £À£Àß UÀAqÀ CªÀgÀ ZÁr ªÀiÁvÀ£ÀÄß PÉýPÉÆAqÀÄ £À£ÀUÉ ¨ÉÊzÀÄ/ºÉÆqÉzÀÄ, ªÀiÁ£À¹PÀ ºÁUÀÆ zÉÊ»PÀ »A¸É ¤ÃrgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £À£Àß UÀAqÀ £À£ÀUÉ ¤£Àß vÁ½ ©aÑPÉÆqÀÄ. £À£Àß CwÛUÉ PÁªÀågÀ ºÉ¸ÀgÀ£ÀÄß SR £À°è jf¸ÀÖgï ªÀiÁr¸ÀÄvÉÛ£É JAzÀÄ ªÀiÁ£À¹PÀ »A¸É ¤ÃrgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £À£Àß UÀAqÀ £À£Àß ªÉÄÃ¯É vÀÄA§ C£ÀĪÀiÁ£À ¥ÀqÀÄwÛzÀÝgÀÄ. £ÀAvÀgÀzÀ°è £À£Àß UÀAqÀ - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR £À£Àß AiÀiÁªÀÅzÉ RZÀÄð ªÉZÀÑUÀ¼À£ÀÄß £ÉÆÃrPÉƼÀîzÉ £À£Àß eÉÆvÉ ¸ÀA¸ÁgÀ ªÀiÁqÀzÉ EzÀÝzÀjAzÀ £Á£ÀÄ ªÀÄ»¼À ¥ÉÇ°¸ï oÁuÉAiÀÄ°è P˹°AUï ªÀiÁqÀĪÀAvÉ PÉÆÃj zÀÆgÀÄ CfðAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¸ÀºÀ ¤ÃrzÉÝ. DzÀgÉ £À£Àß UÀAqÀ AiÀiÁªÀÅzÀPÀÆÌ ¸ÀàAzÀ£É ¤ÃqÀ°®è. ªÀÄzÀÄªÉ ¸ÀªÀÄAiÀÄzÀ°è £ÀªÀÄä vÁ¬ÄAiÀÄ §½ ªÀgÀzÀPÀëuÉ AiÀiÁV ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß ¥ÀqÉzÀÄPÉÆArgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. ºÁUÀÆ £À£Àß vÁ¬ÄAiÀÄ §½ a£Àß ¨É½îAiÀÄ£ÀÄß PÉÆqÀĪÀAvÉ »A¹¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. F ªÉÄÃ¯É ºÉýzÀAvÉ £À£Àß UÀAqÀ, UÀAqÀ£À CtÚ, ªÀÄvÀÄÛ CwÛUÉ £À£ÀUÉ QgÀÄPÀļÀ ¤ÃrgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £À£Àß UÀAqÀ, DvÀ£À CtÚ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ CwÛUÉAiÀÄ ZÁr ªÀiÁvÀ£ÀÄß PÉýPÉÆAqÀÄ ªÀģɪÀiÁr PÀgÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ ºÉÆÃUÀzÀ QgÀÄPÀļÀ ¤ÃrgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. DzÀÄzÀÝjAzÀ £À£Àß UÀAqÀ ªÉÃtÄUÉÆÃ¥Á¯ï DvÀ£À CtÚ ªÀÄAdÄ£Áxï DvÀ£À CwÛUÉ PÁªÀågÀ «gÀÄzÀÞ PÁ£ÀÆ£ÀÄ jÃw PÀæªÀÄ PÉÊUÉƼÀî¨ÉÃPÉAzÀÄ PÉÆÃgÀÄvÉÛ£É. ¸À»/- (¸ÀÈ¶× Dgï) 6/02/2024 PÁªÀå - ªÉÃtÄUÉÆÃ¥Á® s/o ¯ÉÃ|| ¹zÀÝAiÀÄå #87, 12£Éà ªÁqÀð £ÁAiÀÄPÀgÀ©Ã¢ UÀÄAqÀÄè¥ÉÃmÉ mË£ï-571111 ªÉÃtÄUÉÆ¥Á¯ï - #18, PÁåvÀÄAUÉgÉ, PÉÆvÀwÛ ºÉÆç½, QgÀUÀzÀÆgÀÄ ¥ÉƸïÖ, ªÀÄAqÀå-571403. ªÀÄAdÄ£Áxï - vÉÃd ºÉÆÃl¯ï, w®Pï £ÀUÀgÀ, ªÉÄʸÀÆgÀÄ-570007." 5. A perusal of the material on record would indicate that the respondent No.2 - de facto complainant is the wife of Venugopala whose brother is petitioner No.1 / accused No.2 while petitioner No.2 / accused No.3 is the wife of petitioner No.1 and sister-in-law of the aforesaid Venugopala. The respondent No.2 - - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR de facto complainant filed the instant complaint on 06.02.2024 which was registered as a First Information Report (FIR) in Crime No.28/2024 pursuant to which charge sheet was filed and currently pending before the Trial Court in C.C. No.201/2024. In this context, a perusal of the complaint, FIR, charge sheet material discloses that only vague / bald, omnibus and general allegations are made against the petitioners / accused Nos.2 and 3 without revealing the specific instances of commission of the offence by them. Under these circumstances, in the light of the principles laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in the case/s of: Kahkashan Kausar alias Sonam And Others v. State of Bihar and Others [ (2022) 6 SCC 599]; Abhishek v. State of Madhya Pradesh [AIR 2023 SC 4209]; Kailashben Mahendrabhai Patel and Others v. State of Maharashtra and Another [2024 SCC OnLine SC 2621] and Digambar and Another v. State of Maharashtra and Another [2024 SCC OnLine SC 3836], I am of the considered opinion that continuation of the impugned proceedings against the present petitioners would amount to abuse of the process of law warranting interference in the present petition. 6.
Decision
In the result, I pass the following: - 6 - NC: 2025:KHC:21175 CRL.P No. 2952 of 2025 HC-KAR ORDER (i) The Petition is hereby allowed. (ii) The impugned proceedings in C.C. No.201/2024 arising out of Crime No.28/2024 registered by the respondent No.1 – Police for the offences punishable under Section 498A read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 and pending on the file of the VII Additional Senior Civil Judge and JMFC., Mysuru, insofar as the petitioners / accused Nos.2 and 3 are concerned, are hereby quashed. Sd/- (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE SMA List No.: 1 Sl No.: 36