IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA, CHANDIGARH Crl.Misc. No. M-1350 of 2009 Date of Decision: January 16, 2009 Amit Jain and others ...........Petitioners Versus State of Punjab and another ..........Respondent Coram: Hon'ble Mrs.Justice Sabina Present: Mr.R.K.Aggarwal, Advocate for the petitioners Mr.Amandeep Singh Rai,AAG Punjab Mr.Gagandeep Toni, Advocate for respondent No.2 Sabina, J. This petition has been filed by the petitioner under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for quashing FIR No.54 dated 9.7.2008 (Annexure P-1), under Sections 406/498-A of the Indian Penal Code (for short `IPC'), registered at Police Station Division No.4, Ludhiana in view of the compromise/settlement dated 12.1.2009 (Anneuxre P-2) arrived at between the parties and subsequent proceedings thereto. Notice of motion. Mr. Amandeep Singh Rai, AAG Punjab accepts notice on behalf of the State, on the asking of the Court. Mr.Gagandeep Toni, Advocate has put in appearance on behalf of respondent No.2-Pooja Jain. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the parties have arrived at a compromise and no useful purpose would be served by continuing further proceedings in pursuance of the FIR in question. Learned counsel for respondent No.2 has placed on record an affidavit of respondent No.2, wherein, it has been deposed that she has Crl.Misc. No. M-1350 of 2009 -2- received back all her dowry articles and nothing remains due. She has no objection, if the FIR is quashed. In terms of the compromise, it has been agreed that the parties would withdraw all the cases pending against each other. Amit Jain and deponent-Pooja Jain has decided to live separately and apply for divorce. Since the parties have reached at a compromise and have decided to live in peace, present proceedings even if allowed to continue, would end in wasting the time of the Court. As per the Full Bench judgment of this Court in Kulwinder Singh and others vs. State of Punjab, 2007 (3) RCR (Criminal) 1052, High Court has power under Section 482 Cr.P.C. to allow the compounding of non-compoundable offence and quash the prosecution where the High Court felt that the same was required to prevent the abuse of the process of any Court or to otherwise secure the ends of justice. This power of quashing is not confined to matrimonial disputes alone. Since the parties have arrived at a compromise, no useful purpose would be served by proceeding further with the FIR. Accordingly, the present petition is allowed. The FIR No.54 dated 9.7.2008 (Annexure P1) under Sections 406, 498-A IPC, registered at Police Station Division No.4 Ludhiana and all the subsequent proceedings, arising therefrom, are quashed. The petition is disposed of accordingly. ( Sabina ) Judge January 16, 2009 arya