IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V.RAMKUMAR FRIDAY, THE 19TH NOVEMBER 2010 / 28TH KARTHIKA 1932 Crl.MC.No. 4372 of 2010() ------------------------------------ C.C.NO.420/2010 OF JUDICIAL FIRST CLASS MAGISTRATE COURT, THIRUVALLA .................. PETITIONER/DEFACTO COMPLAINANT --------------------------------------------------------- REENA ANN MATHEW, D/O. THOMAS MATHEW AGED 26 YEARS, ANIL BHAVAN, CHERUKARA, THADIYOOR, RANNY TALUK. BY ADV. SRI.ARUN B.VARGHESE, SRI.JAYKAR K.S. RESPONDENTS/ACCUSED NO. 1, 2, 3 AND STATE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. SHINU VARGHESE, S/O. M.V.JOHN, SHINU VILLA, MUNDAKATHIL, MUTHOOR.P.O.,THIRUVALLA, 689 107. 2. M.V. JOHN, SHINU VILLA, MUNDAKATHIL, MUTHOOR.P.O., THIRUVALLA, 689 107. 3. MOLLY JOHN, W/O. M.V. JOHN, SHINU VILLA, MUNDAKATHIL, MUTHOOR.P.O., THIRUVALLA, 689 107. 4. STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM R4 BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR MR.P.A. SALIM. R1 TO R3 BY ADV. SRI.TERRY V.JAMES. THIS CRIMINAL MISC. CASE HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 19/11/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING: rs V. RAMKUMAR, J. ............................................................... Crl.M.C.No. 4372 of 2010 ................................................................ Dated: 19th November, 2010 ORDER Petitioner is the de facto complainant and respondents 1 to 3 are accused Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in Crime No. 1100/2009 of Thiruvalla Police Station for offences punishable under Sections 498A read with Sec. 34 I.P.C. and Sec. 4 (a) of Dowry Prohibition Act, and whose case is now pending before the J.F.C.M. Thiruvalla as C.C. No. 420 of 2010, seek to quash the proceedings against the respondents on the ground that the marital partners have subsequently settled their disputes. 2. In the light of the subsequent settlement of the dispute between the marital partners, the petitioners have approached this Court by invoking the powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. Having regard to the resolution of the disputes Crl.M.C.No. 4372 of 2010 -:2:- between the marital partners, continuance of the criminal prosecution against the petitioners is an avoidable irritant. 3. Eventhough the offence under Section 498 A I.P.C. is not compoundable, in the light of the decision of the Apex Court in B.S. Joshi v. State of Haryana (AIR 2003 SC 1386), the powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. can be invoked by this Court to bring about a premature termination of the prosecution. Accordingly, this Criminal Miscellaneous Case is allowed. C.C. No. 420 of 2010 pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Thiruvalla, shall stand quashed. Dated this the 19th day of November, 2010. Sd/-V. RAMKUMAR, (JUDGE). ani/ /true copy/ P.S. to Judge Crl.M.C.No. 4372 of 2010 -:3:-