S

tat
eofM.P.
v.Deepa
k
(
201
4)1
0SCC285

DRA.
K.
SIK
RI,
J:

L
eavegra
nte
d.Asco
unselfo
rbotht
hep
art
iese
xpr
ess
edt
hei
rwi
ll
in
gne
sst
oar
guet
hema
tte
rfi
nal
lya
tth
is
s
tag
e ,
wehear
dtheapp
ea l
fina
ll
y.

 Thi
sa ppe
alisprefe
r r
edb ytheStat
eo fMa dhyaPradeshagai
nstthejudg
mentan dor
derdate
d1 0-
5-201
3
inDeepakv.Stat
eo fM.P.,p
assedbyt heHighCourtinthepetit
ionfil
edbyRe spon
dents1and2,here
in.
Thesaidpet
iti
onwa sfil
edunderSec
t i
on482o ftheCodeforcompoun
ding
/quas
hingofcri
min
alproc
eeding
s
ari
sin
go utofCrimeNo .171of2 01
3u nderS ect
ions307/34IPCr egi
ster
eda tPo l
ic
eS t
ationKotwal
i,
Dist
ric
tVidish
a(M.P.)andcon
sequentcrimi
nalproceedi
ngsbeari
ngCrimi
nalCaseNo.582of2013pendin
g
befor
et h
eCh i
efJu dic
ialMagist
rate,Vidi
sha.TheFIRwa sregis
teredattheinstan
ceofRe spo
ndent3
(“
thecompl
aina
nt”)
.

Th
ecomplai
nant,DeepakGhengha
ts /oLaxminara
y a
nGhengh
a t
, ha
da l
le
g e
dt h
at:
 On1 1-
3-2
0 1
3a tabo
ut9.
45p .
m.,wh i
lehewa sgoi
ngtoBaraipuraChaurah
af o
rbuyi
nggutk
h aforhi
smother
,
DeepakNahariyaandMu k
eshNa hariy
a( Respond
ents1a nd2)me thimnearSweeperMo h
all
a,Gal
i1.On
be
ingaskedbyRe spon
d en
t1 ,i
na na bu
sivelangu
age,ast owherehewa spro
ceededto,thecompl
ain
ant
pr
otestedagain
sttheuseofsuchfoull
anguage.

 Atth i
s,Respondent1t oo
kouttheswordwh i
chhewasc a
rryi
ngandwithanin
tenti
o ntokil
l t
hecomp l
ain
ant,
heinfli
ctedab l
owo nhisfor
eheadbyshoutin
g“youhavelod
gedthereportagai
nstmyel derbrother,
today
Iwillkil
lyou”.Respondent1,t
hereafte
r,infl
ict
edblowsabovetheearonthebacksideoft heheadandon
theleftarm. Whent hecompl
ainan
tinformedt h
athewo ul
dlodgear e
portwiththep ol
ice,Respondent2
caug
h thol
do fhimandt hr
eatenedtha
tifh elod
gestherepor
t,thenhewoul
dnotlett h
eco mplai
nantresi
de
i
nt h
emo h
all
a .
Byth attime,br
otherofthecomplai
nantSura
ja n
do n
ePr e
etireac
h edthes po
ta ndresc
ued
thecomplain
a n
t.

 Onthesamed at
e,thecompla
inan
tlodgedFI
RNo .17
1of201
3atPo li
ceStati
onK o
twali
,Vid
ish
a(M.P.)for
theoffenc
ep uni
shab
leu n
derS e
ction307IPCreadwithSec
tion34I PCwh i
cht r
igg
eredthec r
imi n
al
in
vesti
gatio
na ndc o
mplain
antDeepa kGhengha
twa ssentformed ica
lexa mina
tio
n.Thereaf
ter ,on
12-
3-20
13t h
ep ol
icereach
edo nthes p
otandp r
epare
dthespotma p,reco
rdedthestatement
so ft he
witn
essesund
erSectio
n161,ar
reste
dt h
eaccus
edperso
nsan
dseiz
e dcert
ainart
icl
es.

 On14-4-
2013,a
rti
cl
eswhichwe
reseiz
edwer
es e
ntforfo
rens
icexa
minat
ion
.Afte
rd u
ean
dp r
ope
r
in
vesti
gati
onachar
ge-
she
etwasfi
ledonf
ortheof
fen
cespu
nis
hab
leund
erSecti
on307I
PCr
eadwit
h
Sect
ion34IPC.

Ther
espondentfi
ledMi sc
.Cri
min
alCa
seNo.3
527of201
3bef
oret
heHi
ghCo
urtofMad
hyaPrad
esh,Ben
cha
t
Gwal
iorund
erS ec
tion482CrPC:
 f o
rq uash
ingthecr i
mina
lproc
eedi
ngs
,ar
isi
ngouto
fFIRNo.1
71o
f201
3a g
ain
stther
espond
entonth
e
basi
sofcompromise.
.

 TheHighCour
thasaccepte
dt hesa
idcompromi
sea ftertak
ingnot
eo fthesubmis
s i
onsmadebefor
eitat
th
eBa r,a
ndthefac
ttha tt
hecompl
a i
nanth
ada l
sosubmit
tedthathedidnotwishtopros
ecu
tet h
eaccu
sed
pers
onsashehadsett
ledallt
hedispute
samicablywit
hthem.Forqu
ashin
gt hepro
ceedin
gs,
t h
eHighCou
rt
ha
sr e
ferredtot
hejudgmentofthi
sCourti
nS h
ijiv.Radh
ika[(
2011
)10SCC7 0
5 ]
.

Aggr
iev
edbyth
ea f
ores
aido
rde
r,th
eSt
atei
sbe
for
eusi
nth
epr
ese
nta
ppe
al.
Iti
spr
ima
ril
ysu
bmi
tte
dby
th
elear
nedc
ouns
elfort
heSt
ate:
 t
hatthejudg
mentinSh
ijiCa
seisnotapp
lic
abletoth
ef a
ctsoft
heprese
ntcas
einas
muchast
heinci
dent
i
nquest
ionhadi
tsgenes
isando
rig
ininacivi
ldis
putebetwee
nthepar
tiesa
ndhavi
ngreg
ardtoth
es a
me
t
heCourthadacce
ptedtheset
tle
me ntan
dq uas
hedtheproc
eed
ing
swh e
nitfoun
dt h
atthepar
tieshad
r
esol
vedthesai
ddis
putebet
weenthem.

 I
twaspl
eadedth
atont
hec o
ntr
aryi
,nthepr
ese
ntc
asetheacc
usedper
sonsa
rehab
itua
loff
end
ersa
nd
t
heyh
adthr
eate
nedt
hecompl
ain
antande
xtra
cte
dth
ecompro
misewhi
chwasno
tvo
lunt
ary.

 Thelea
rne
dc ou
nselal
soref
erredt
othei
njur
iessu
ffer
edbyt
heco
mpla
inan
twhicha
redesc
ribe
dinthe
re
p o
rtasar e
sultofthemedi
cale
xami
nat
ioncar
riedo
uto
nthep
erso
no fthec
ompl
ain
antimmedi
ate
ly
afte
rthein
ciden
t.

 t
hattheoffe
nceunde
rSecti
on307IPCwa s
,pri
mafaci
e,ma d
eo u
ta n
df o
rsuchah
ein
ouscri
metheHi
gh
C
ourtsho
uldno
thaveexe
rcis
e di
tsdi
scre
tionun
derSec
tion482CrPCandqua
shedt
heproc
eedi
ngsast
he
o
ffenc
einques
tio
nwasnon-
compou
ndab
leunderS
ecti
on320oftheCode.

Th
ele
arn
edc
oun
sel
fort
hea
ccu
sedo
nth
eot
herh
ands
ubmi
tte
d

 t
hats
inc
et hepart
iesha
dse
ttl
edthematt
er,
theHi
ghCou
rth
adrig
htlya
cce
pte
dt h
ecompro
miseb
etwee
n
t
hepart
ies.Thi
sacti
onoft
heHig
hC o
urtwasju
sti
fie
daspar
tie
sh a
dburi
edthehat
che
ta ndwa
ntedt
o
l
iv
epeacef
ully
.

 t
hatt
hisC
our
tsh
oul
dno
tin
ter
fer
ewi
tht
hea
for
esa
ide
xer
cis
eofd
isc
ret
ionb
yth
eHi
ghC
our
t.

De
cis
iono
fSu
pre
meCo
urt
:

Afterexami
nin
gthef
actsofthi
sca
seandthemedic
alrec
ord
,weareo
ft h
eo pi
nio
nt h
atitwasno
tacas
e
wheretheHi
ghCou
rtsho
uldha
vequa
shedth
eproceedi
ngsi
nexer
cis
eofit
sd i
scr
etionund
erSec
tio
n48
2of
th
eCo de.

Asimilarsituati
o n
,asintheprese
ntc ase,wasfoun
dt ohaveariseninStateofRa j
asthanv.Sh
amb huKewat
[
(2014)4S CC149] .
I
nt h
a tca s
ea l
so,theHighCou
rthada c
ceptedt h
esettl
eme n
tb et
we enthepartiesi
nano ffen
ceunderSecti
on
30
7r eadwi thS ecti
on34IPCa n
ds etthea cc
usedatlarg
eb yacqui
ttingthem.Thesettl
ementwasa rri
vedat
du
ringt hep endencyofa p
pealbeforeth eHighCour
ta gain
stt heo r
dero fconvi
cti
ona ndsen
tenceo fthe
Ses
sionsJu dg
eh oldi
ngtheacc
usedpersonsguil
tyoftheoffenc
eu nderSecti
ons307/
34I PC.So
mee ar
liercas
es
o
fc ompoundingofo f
fenceund
erSection307IPCwe r
et ak
enn o
teof,notic
ingthatunde
rc er
tainc
irc
ums ta
nces,
t
heC o
u r
th ada p p
rovedthecompoundin
gwh er
easinc e
rtainotherc as
ess uc
hac ourseofa ct
ionwa snot
ac
cep t
e d.Int h
atc ase,th
isCourtt o
okt hev i
ewt hattheHighCo urtwa snotjusti
f i
edina c
ceptingthe
c
ompr omiseands etti
ngasi
detheconvict
ion.

Wewoul
dli
ketoment
ionatthi
sst
ageth
ati
nsomeca
sest
heo f
fence
sun
derS
ect
ion3
07I
PCa
rea
llo
wedt
o
bec
ompo
unded
,whe
reasinso
meoth
erca
sesi
tishe
ldt
obecon
trary
.

Thi
sd i
chot
omywastakennoteofbyrefe rri
ngtot h
osej udgments
,inNarind
erS i
nghv.St
ateo fPunj
ab[(20
14)6
SCC466],an
dbyreco
ncil
in
gt ho
sejudgme nts,
situati
onsa ndci
rcumstance
swe redi
scern
edwh ereco
mpoundi
ngis
tobea l
lo
we dorr
efused.
Top utitsimp l
y ,
itwa spointedo utast ound
erwh atcir
cumstanc
e st
heC o
urtshad
quas
hedthep r
oce
eding
sa ct
inguponthes ettl
e mentarrivedatb e
t weentheparti
esont heonehan
da ndwhat
werethereaso
nswhi
chhadp er
suadedth eCourtnottoe xerci
sesuchad i
scre
tion.
Afterthoro
ughanddetai
leddisc
ussiono nvariou
sf acetsa n
da fterrevi
siti
ngtheentirelawonthesubjec
t,
fol
lowin
gprinc
ipl
eshavebeencul
ledou tinthes a
iddec is
ion:(
SCCp p.
482-8
4,para29)
Invi
ewo ftheafo
resaiddis
cuss
ion
,wes umupandla
yd o
wnt hefol
lo
wingpri
nci
ple
sb ywhi
chtheHi
ghCourt
woul
dbeg uid
eding i
vingadequ
atet r
eatmenttothesettl
ementbetweentheparti
esandexerc
isi
ngits
powerun
d e
rSect
ion482o fth
eCodewh i
leac
cepti
ngthesett
lemen
ta n
dquash
ingthepro
ceed
ing
sorrefus
ing
toac
cepttheset
tlementwithdi
recti
ontoco
ntin
uewiththecri
min
alproc
eedi
ngs:

Princ
ipl
e1:Powercon
ferredunderSec
tion482oft h
eC od
ei stobedis
tin
guis
hedfromthepowerwhi
chli
esin
theCour
ttocompoun
dt heoffe
n c
esund
erS ec
tio
n3 20oftheCo de
.Nodoubt
,unde
rS e
cti
on482oftheCod
e,the
HighCou
rth
a sin
heren
tpo wertoqua
shthecri
minalproc
eedingsev
enintho
secaseswhi
charenotco
mpoun
dabl
e,
wherethepa r
tieshaves e
ttl
edt h
ema tterbetweent hemsel
ves.Ho
wever,thi
spowerist obeexerci
sed
spari
ngl
yandwithca
ution.

Pri
nci
ple2:
Whenthepar
tiesha
vereac
hedthes
ett
lemen
tan
dontha
tb a
sisp
eti
tio
nfo
rqu
ash
ingt
hec
rimi
nal
pr
oceed
ing
sisf
ile
d,th
eguid
ingfac
tori
nsuc
hcas
eswoul
dbet
osec
ure:

(
i)e
ndsofj
usti
ce,o
r
(
ii
)topr
eventab
useoft
hepr
oce
sso
fan
yco
urt

Wh
il
eexe
rci
si
ngt
hepo
wert
heHi
ghCo
urti
stof
orma
nopi
nio
none
ith
ero
fth
eaf
ore
sai
dtwoo
bje
cti
ves
.

Pri
nci
ple3:Suc
hapoweri
snottob
ee xe
rcis
edinthos
epros
ecu
tion
swhic
hin
vol
vehei
nou
sands
eri
ouso
ffen
ces
ofmentaldepr
avi
tyorof
fencesl
ik
emu rd
er,r
a pe
,daco
ity
,etc
.Sucho
ffen
cesar
enotpri
vat
einnatu
reand
hav
ease ri
ousi
mpacto
nsoc
iety
.

 Si
mil
arl
y,fortheo
ffe
ncesal
le
gedtohavebee
ncommit
tedund
e rspe
cialstat
uteli
kethePrev
enti
ono
f
Co
rru
ptionActort
heoff
enc
escommit
tedbypubl
ics
ervan
tswhil
eworki
n gi
nt ha
tcapa
citya
renottob
e
qu
ashe
dme rel
yont
hebas
iso
fcompro
misebe
tweenth
evicti
mandtheoff
e nd
er.

Pri
nci
ple4:Ontheoth
erhand,
thosecri
min
alcas
esha
vigo
n ver
whel
min
glya
ndpr
edo
min
ant
lyc
ivi
lch
ara
cter
,
pa
rtic
ular
lyth
ose:
 a ri
sin
goutofco
mme r
cia
ltran
sacti
onso
r
 a ri
sin
goutofmatr
imoni
alr
elati
onsh
iporf
amil
ydi
sput
es

s
hou
ldb
equ
ash
edwh
ent
hepa
rti
esh
aver
eso
lve
dth
eire
nti
red
ispu
tesa
mon
gth
ems
elv
es.

Pri
nci
ple5:Whi
leexer
cis
ingitspowers
,theHig
hC ou
rtist oexami
nea owh
st et
herthepos
sib
ili
tyof
co
nvi
cti
oni
sremot
eandbl
eakandcon
t i
nua
tio
nofcr
imin
alcase
swouldputt
heacc
usedtogr
eato
ppres
siona
nd
pr
ejud
icea
ndextr
emein
just
icewou
ldbecaus
edtohi
mbyn o
tquash
ingth
ecri
min
alca
ses.

Pri
nci
pl :Of
e6 f
ence
su nd
erSect
ion307IPCwoul
df a
llinth
ec at
egor
yofhei
nou
sandser
iou
soffenc
esa
nd
th
erefo
rear
etobegen
eral
lyt
reatedasc
rimea
gai
nsttheso
ciet
ya n
dnota
gai
nstt
hei
ndi
vid
ualal
one
.

 However,
theHig
hCourtwoul
dnotres
titsdeci
sionmerel
ybeca
usethe
reisame n
tionofSect
ion307IPCin
th
eF IRorthechar
geisframedund
erthisprov
isio
n.Itwou
ldbeopentotheHighCourttoexamin
ea sto
whetherin
cor
porati
onofSecti
on307IPCi sthereforthesakeofitort h
epr ose
cuti
onh a
sc o
ll
ecte
d
su
f f
ici
entevi
dence
,whic
hifprov
ed,wou
ldleadtoprov
ingth
echarg
eunderSect
ion307IPC.

 F
orthi
spurpos
e,itwoul
db eopentoth
eHighCour
ttog obyth
en at
ureofin
jur
ysust
aine
d,whet
hersuc
h
i
nju
ryisi
nfli
ctedonthevita
l/d
eli
cat
epa r
tsofthebody,
nat
ureofwe a
ponsus
ed,
etc.Medi
calr
epor
tin
r
espec
tofinju
riessu
fferedbythevi
ctimcang
enera
llybeth
eg u
idin
gfact
or.

 Onthebasi
softhspr
i imafac
iea
nal
ysi
s,th
eHi g
hCo u
rtca
nexami
nea
st owhet
herth
erei
sastro
ng
pos
sib
ili
tyofco
nvic
tio
no rt
hech
anc
eso fcon
vict
ionarer
emo
teandbl
eak.I
nthefo
rmerc
asei
tcan
 re
fusetoacc
epttheset
tle
mentan
dquas
hthecr
imi
nal
proc
eedi
ngswh
ere
asi
nthel
att
erc
asei
twouldb
e
per
miss
ibl
efortheHig
hCourttoa
cce
ptthepl
eaco
mpoun
dingt
heoff
enc
ebas
edonco
mpl
etes
ett
lement
bet
weenthepar
ties
.

 Atth
isst
age,t
heCou
rtca
na l
sob
esway
edbyt
hefa
cttha
tthes
ettl
ementbetwe
ent
hepa
rti
esi
sgo
ingt
o
re
sul
tinhar
monyb
etwee
nt h
emwhic
hmayi
mpr
ovet
hei
rfutu
rer
ela
tion
ship.

Pri
ncipl
e7 Wh
: il
edeci
din
gwh et
hert
oexer
cis
eit
spo
weru
nderS
ect
ion48
2oft
heCo
deo
rno
t,t
imi
ngso
f
set
tlementpla
yac r
uci
alrol
e.

 Tho
secaseswherethese
ttlementisarr
ivedati
mme d
iat
elyaft
ertheal
leg
edcommis
sio
nofoffenc
ea n
d
th
ema tt
erissti
llun
derinv
estigat
ion,
theHig
hCo u
rtmaybeli
bera
linac
cepti
ngtheset
tle
menttoquas
h
th
ec r
imi
nalpro
ceedi
ngs/
invest
igati
on.I
tisbeca
useofthere
asontha
tatthisst
agethein
ves
tig
ationi
s
st
il
lonandeve
nt hec
harg
e-sheethasno
tb e
enfil
ed.

 L
ike
wi s
e,tho
secas
eswhe
rethechar
geisfra
medbuttheevi
dencei
syettost
artorth
eevi
den
ceissti
ll
at
i
nfa
n c
ys t
age,t
heHig
hCourtca
nshowb e
nevol
enc
eine xer
cis
ingi
tspower
sf a
vour
abl
y,b
utaft
e rpr
ima
f
acieasse
ssmen
tofthec
irc
umstan
ces/
materi
alment
ionedabo
ve.

 Ont heotherha
nd,wh e
r ethepros
ecu
tionevide
nceisa l
mostcompl
eteora f
tert heconc
lus
ionofthe
evi
d e
ncethematteri
sa tthesta
geofarg
ument,no
rmal
lytheHig
hCo u
rtsh
oul
dr ef
rainfro
me xerc
isi
ngi
ts
powerunderSec
tion482o ftheCod
e,asinsuc
hcasesthetri
alcour
twoul
db einapo s
iti
ontodecid
ethe
ca
s efina
ll
yo nmerit
sa ndtocometoac on
clus
ionastowh e
thertheoffen
ceu nd
erS ec
tion307IPCis
co
mmi tt
edornot.

 Simi
lar
ly,
inthosecaseswheretheconvi
ctio
nisal
readyrecor
dedbythetri
alcour
tandt h
ema t
terisatth
e
appel
lat
es ta
geb eforetheHighCo u
rt,merecompromis
eb etwee
nt heparti
eswo u
ldnotbeag rou
ndto
acce
ptthesamer esul
tingi
na c
qu i
ttaloftheoffen
derwh ohasal
readybeenconv
ictedbythetri
alcou
rt.
Herechar
geispr ov
e dunderSectio
n3 07IPCa n
dc onv
ict
ionisalr
eadyrecor
dedo fah ei
nou
scrimeand,
ther
efore,
thereisnoquest
ionofsparingacon
vic
tfoundguil
tyofsuchacr
ime.
”(emphasi
ssuppl
ied
)

Itisclearfromt h
er ead
ingofthepa s
sagesext r
actedabov
e,thattheo f
f enc
eu nderSec
tion307isnot
treat
eda sapr i
v a
ted i
sputebetweenthepartiesin
t ersebutishel
dt obeac rimea g
ain
stt h
es o
ciet
y.
Furt
her,guid
eli
nesa r
elaiddownfortheCourt
st odealwithsuc
hma tt
erswh enappli
cati
onforquas
hingof
proc
eed i
ngsisf
iled,a
fterthepar
t i
eshaveset
tledtheissu
esbetweenthemselv
es.

Whenwea pp
lytheratio
/prin
cipl
el ai
dd owninNa ri
nderSing
hc as
e[ (
2014)6S CC46 6
]tot h
ef actsofthe
pr
esentcase,
wef i
nd:
 t hattheinju
rie
sinfli
ctedont hecomplai
nantwerev er
ys er
iou
sinn ature.Theaccus
edwa sarmedwith
swordandhadinfl
ic
tedblowso ntheforeh
ead,ear,ba
cksideoftheheada swe l
lasontheleftarmofthe
compla
inant
.Thecompla
inantwa sattac
kedfivetimeswiththeswordbyt hea c
cusedpers
ono u
to fwhic
h
twob l
owswerestruc
konhishea d.
Butforthetimel
ya rr
iva
l o
fthebrotheroft h
ecomplai
nantandanoth
er
l
ad ynamedPreeti
,whorescuedt h
ecomplain
ant,theattac
kscoul
dh a
vec ontin
ued.Inacaseli
ket hi
s,t
he
HighCour
tshoul
dnothaveacceptedthepetit
ionoftheaccu
sedunderSecti
o n482oftheCode.

Asare
sul
toftheafor
esaidd
isc
uss
ion
,thi
sappe
ali
sall
owedandtheor
de Deepa
r[ kv.S
tateo
fM.
P.,
MCRCNo.
35
27of201
3,dec
ide
don1 0
-5-
201
3(MP)]o
ftheHi
ghCou
rtisse
ta s
ideTh
. eMagi
str
a t
econc
ern
eds
hal
lpr
oceed
wit
hthet
rial
ofthecase.