THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE N. RAVI SHANKAR CRIMINAL PETITION No.6126 OF 2011 ORDER: 1 Heard petitioners’ counsel and also the learned Additional Public Prosecutor. 2 Ponnur town police have registered a case against these petitioners on a court referred complaint. The offences alleged are those punishable under sections 498-A of IPC and under sections 3 & 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act. 3 It is stated that the first petitioner is the sister, second petitioner is the maternal aunt, third petitioner is step mother of the first accused and the other petitioners are said to be their relatives. 4 The FIR allegations, prima facie, show the offence punishable under section 498-A of IPC. The matter is pending investigation. The learned counsel for the petitioners says that all the allegations are false and the petitioners have nothing to do with the family life of the de facto complainant. This plea of the petitioners may be true or may not be true. But it has to be investigated. Hence, having regard to the allegations in the FIR, the relief for quashing it is rejected. 5 The learned counsel for the petitioners says that petitioners 1 to 3 are ladies and petitioners 4 and 5 have their own avocations and if they are arrested that will cause irreparable loss to the family’s reputation. It should also be noted that the offence punishable under section 498-A of IPC is a compoundable one in our State and in course of time the parties may come together and compromise the matter also. In view of this, if the petitioners are arrested the chances of the compromise and reunion will be lost. This apart, custodial interrogation of the petitioners may also not be necessary. In the circumstances, the police shall take a decision about the arrest of these petitioners only after the completion of the investigation. 6 This petition is accordingly disposed of at the admission stage. -------------------------------- N. RAVI SHANKAR, J. 25.07.2011 Kvsn