Ginni Medicals Thru. Its Sole Proprietor Saroj Devi Jalan Distt. Lko v. State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home, Lko. and Another (2024:AHC-LKO:59215)

Court: High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
Decided: 30 August 2024
Bench: Shamim Ahmedauthor
Case no.: 4610/2024

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Judgment

Court No. -16 Case :-APPLICATION U/S 482 No. -4610 of 2024 Applicant :-Ginni Medicals Thru. Its Sole Proprietor Saroj Devi Jalan Distt. Lko. Opposite Party :-State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home, Lko. And Another Counsel for Applicant :-Ankit Kumar Counsel for Opposite Party :-G.A.,Aahuti Agarwal,Abhishek Khare,B/2355 Hon'ble Shamim Ahmed,J. Heard Shri Ankit Kumar, learned counsel for applicant, Ms. Aahuti Agarwal, learned counsel for the opposite party no.2 and Sri Ashok Kumar Singh, learned A.G.A.-I, for the State as well as perused the record. The present application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. has been filed on behalf of the applicant seeking quashing of the entire proceedings of the Complaint Case No.9677/2022, 9676/2022, 9661/2022, 9691/2022, 9674/2022, 9692/2022, 9689/2022, 9675/2022 and 9673/2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma vs. Ginni Medicals) total nine cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, Police Station-Qaiserbagh, District-Lucknow pending before the court of Additional Court No.6, Lucknow, it is further prayed that the impugned summoning order of the complaint case No.9677/2022, 9676/2022, 9661/2022, 9691/2022, 9674/2022, 9692/2022, 9689/2022, 9675/2022 and 9673/2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma vs. Ginni Medicals) be also quashed. In compliance of the order dated 22.07.2024, Sri Brijesh Agarwal, opposite party No.2-proprietor of Guru Kripa Pharma is present before this Court in person and he has been identified by his counsel. The applicant has sent two Demand Drafts bearing No.869021 and 869020 amounting Rs.1,35,000/-and Rs.34,990/-which comes to total of Rs.1,69,990/-. The said Demand Drafts have been handed over to the opposite party no.2 before this Court and a receiving has been made by the opposite party no.2 on its photocopy. Now no amount is due upon the applicant as the opposite party no.2 has received full payment. Thus, learned counsel for the applicant submits that now the proceedings of all the cases pending in respect of the alleged amount be quashed. The details of all the cases is being mentioned herein below:-

¶1Case No.9672 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶2Case No.9678 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶3Case No.9684 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶4Case No.9681 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶5Case No.9688 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶6Case No.9679 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶7Case No.9685 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶8Case No.9680 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶9Case No.9655 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶10Case No.9649 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Gauri Medicare).

¶1Case No.9677 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶2Case No.9676 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶3Case No.9661 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶4Case No.9691 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶5Case No.9674 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶6Case No.9692 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶7Case No.9689 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶8Case No.9675 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals).

¶9Case No.9673 of 2022 (Guru Kripa Pharma Vs. Ginni Medicals). Learned A.G.A.-I for the State as well as learned counsel for the opposite party no.2 have also submitted that since the alleged amount has been received by the opposite party no.2 from the applicant, therefore, no useful purpose would be served if the proceedings of the aforesaid cases go on further. Learned counsel for the parties have drawn the attention of this Court and placed reliance on the judgment of the Hon'ble Apex Court in support of their case.

(i) B.S. Joshi Vs. State of Haryana & Others 2003 (4) ACC 675.

(ii) Gian Ssingh Vs. State of Punjab 2012 (10) SCC 303.

(iii) Dimpey Gujral And Others Vs. Union Territory Through Administrator 2013 (11) SCC 697.

(iv) Narendra Singh And Others Vs. State of Punjab And Others 2014

(6) SCC 466.

(v) Yogendra Yadav And Others Vs. State of Jharkhand 2014 (9) SCC 653. Summarizing the ratio of all the above cases the latest judgment pronounced by Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Parbatbhai Aahir @ Parbatbhai Bhimsinhbhai Karmur & Ors. Vs. State of Gujarat & Anr,; reported in

(2017) 9 SCC 641 and in paragraph no.16, the Hon'ble Apex Court has summarized the broad principles with regard to exercise of powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. in the case of compromise/settlement between the parties which emerges from precedent of the subjects as follows:- i. "Section 482 preserves the inherent powers of the High Court to prevent an abuse of the process of any court or to secure the ends of justice. The provision does not confer new powers. It only recognizes and preserves powers which inhere in the High Court. ii.The invocation of the jurisdiction of the High Court to quash a First Information Report or a criminal proceeding on the ground that a settlement has been arrived at between the offender and the victim is not the same as the invocation of jurisdiction for the purpose of compounding an offence. While compounding an offence, the power of the court is governed by the provisions of Section 320 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The power to quash under Section 482 is attracted even if the offence is non-compoundable. iii. In forming an opinion whether a criminal proceeding or complaint should be quashed in exercise of its jurisdiction under Section 482, the High Court must evaluate whether the ends of justice would justify the exercise of the inherent power; iv. While the inherent power of the High Court has a wide ambit and plenitude it has to be exercised; (i) to secure the ends of justice or (ii) to prevent an abuse of the process of any court; v. The decision as to whether a complaint or First Information Report should be quashed on the ground that the offender and victim have settled the dispute, revolves ultimately on the facts and circumstances of each case and no exhaustive elaboration of principles can be formulated; vi. In the exercise of the power under Section 482 and while dealing with a plea that the dispute has been settled, the High Court must have due regard to the nature and gravity of the offence. Heinous and serious offences involving mental depravity or offences such as murder, rape and dacoity cannot appropriately be quashed though the victim or the family of the victim have settled the dispute. Such offences are truly speaking not private in nature but have a serious impact upon society. The decision to continue with the trial in such cases is founded on the overriding element of public interest in punishing persons for serious offences; vii. As distinguished from serious offences, there may be criminal cases which have an overwhelming or predominant element of a civil dispute. They stand on a distinct footing in so far as the exercise of the inherent power to quash is concerned; viii. Criminal cases involving offences which arises from commercial, financial, mercantile, partnership or similar transactions with an essentially civil flavour may in appropriate situations fall for quashing where parties have settled the dispute; ix. In such a case, the High Court may quash the criminal proceeding if in view of the compromise between the disputants, the possibility of a conviction is remote and the continuation of a criminal proceeding would cause oppression and prejudice; and x. There is yet an exception to the principle set out in propositions

(viii) and (ix) above. Economic offences involving the financial and economic well-being of the state have implications which lie beyond the domain of a mere dispute between private disputants. The High Court would be justified in declining to quash where the offender is involved in an activity akin to a financial or economic fraud or misdemeanour. The consequences of the act complained of upon the financial or economic system will weigh in the balance." The Apex Court has also laid down the guidelines where the criminal proceedings could be interfered and quashed in exercise of its power by the High Court in the following cases:-(i) R.P. Kapoor Vs. State of Punjab, AIR 1960 S.C. 866, (ii) State of Haryana Vs. Bhajanlal, 1992 SCC (Crl.)426, (iii) State of Bihar Vs. P.P. Sharma, 1992 SCC (Crl.)192 and (iv) Zandu Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. Vs. Mohd. Saraful Haq and another, (Para-10) 2005 SCC (Cri.) 283. From the aforesaid decisions the Apex Court has settled the legal position for quashing of the proceedings at the initial stage. The test to be applied by the court is to whether uncontroverted allegation as made prima facie establishes the offence and the chances of ultimate conviction is bleak and no useful purpose is likely to be served by allowing criminal proceedings to be continued. In S.W. Palankattkar & others Vs. State of Bihar, 2002 (44) ACC 168, it has been held by the Hon'ble Apex Court that quashing of the criminal proceedings is an exception than a rule. The inherent powers of the High Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C itself envisages three circumstances under which the inherent jurisdiction may be exercised:-(i) to give effect an order under the Code, (ii) to prevent abuse of the process of the court ; (iii) to otherwise secure the ends of justice. The power of High Court is very wide but should be exercised very cautiously to do real and substantial justice for which the court alone exists. With the assistance of the aforesaid guidelines, keeping in view the nature and gravity and the severity of the offence which are more particularly is private dispute and differences, it deems proper and to meet the ends of justice, that the proceeding of the aforementioned cases be quashed. The present 482 Cr.P.C. application stands allowed. Keeping in view the law laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the above referred judgment and in view of the statement made by the applicant as well as opposite party no.2 and the observation made above, the entire proceedings of following cases are hereby quashed so far as it relates to the instant applicant.