Criminal Misc. M No.7897 of 2009 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA, CHANDIGARH Criminal Misc. M No. 7897 of 2009 Date of Decision: April 16, 2009 Balwant Singh ...........Petitioner Versus Devinder Singh ..........Respondent Coram: Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Sabina Present: Mr.Amandeep Singh Rai,Assistant Advocate General,Punjab ** Sabina, J. Complaint No.13 of 3.4.2001 was pending in the Court of the Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class Ropar under Section 3(i)(10) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (`the Act' for short). The case of the complainant was that he was resident of Brahman Mohalla, Chamkaur Sahib and was a Mason by profession. He belongs to Scheduled Caste Community. Accused Nos. 1 and 2 belong to Jat community. On 19.3.2001 at about 6.00 P.M., the complainant had gone to the house of accused No.2 Mandeep Kaur to request her to pay his labour wages amounting to Rs.5000/-. Mandeep Kaur,however, insulted him. Accused Balwant Singh who was present in the house of Mandeep Kaur also insulted the complainant. Accused were ordered to face the trial vide order dated 24.3.2001 . In Mega Lok Adalat held on 20.12.2008, parties arrived at a compromise. Statements of the parties were recorded. Complainant Devinder Singh made a statement that he did not want to pursue his complaint and wanted to withdraw the same as Criminal Misc. M No.7897 of 2009 2 he had arrived at a compromise with the accused. Thereafter, the complaint has been put up before this Court for quashing the complaint. 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. Keeping in view the fact that the parties have arrived at a compromise, no useful purpose would be served in allowing these proceedings to continue. In view of the above, the present petition is allowed. Complaint No.13 dated 3.4.2001 titled as `Devinder Singh vs. Balwant Singh' under Section 3(i)(10) of the Act pending in the Court of Judicial Magistrate Ist Class, Ropar and all the subsequent proceedings, arising therefrom, are quashed. The petition is disposed of accordingly. (Sabina) Judge April 16,2009 arya Criminal Misc. M No.7897 of 2009 3 Criminal Misc. M No.7897 of 2009 4