Cr.M.M.O. No. 59 of 2010 04.06.2010 Present: Mr. Nimish Gupta, Advocate, for the petitioner. Ms. Ruma Kaushik, Additional Advocate General, for the respondent. The petitioner has approached this Court for quashing First Information Report No. 27 of 2002 dated 13.9.2002 registered against him charging him for offences under Section 364 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. It is undisputed before me that since the time of registration, till today, no progress seems to have been taken by the police, although a period of 7 ½ years has elapsed. It is strange that even reply to this petition, which was filed on 22nd March, 2010, has not been filed despite repeated opportunities. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner has placed on record photocopy of reply purportedly filed by the respondent on the affidavit of one Madhu Sudan, Superintendent of Police, Chamba. The learned Additional Advocate General states that this reply has in fact not been filed. I am not adverting to the averments made therein as it is not part of the record. The fact remains that 7 ½ years have elapsed and nothing has been brought on record to implicate the petitioner. It would be against all cannons of criminal jurisprudence to keep the First Information Report pending ad-infinitum. I am aware about the principle of law applicable, which requires that at the initial stage of investigation the Court should not interfere, unless the circumstances manifested on record would require the intervention of this Court ex debito justicice. Prima facie on consideration of the entire material on record, 7 ½ years is not a reasonable period for keeping proceedings alive. In these circumstances, the petition is accepted and the First Information Report Annexure P-1 is quashed. It will be open to the State to investigate the offences if any so disclosed by taking into consideration any fresh circumstances if so discovered. Petition disposed. June 04, 2010 (Dev Darshan Sud), (KRS) Judge