The Supreme Court on Monday quashed two FIRs, including one involving rape charges, after noting an amicable settlement between the parties and observing that further proceedings would only serve to prolong distress and burden the judicial system without any meaningful outcome.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar passed the order while hearing appeals against a March 2025 judgment of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court that had refused to quash the criminal cases, citing the grave and non-compoundable nature of the offence under Section 376 of the IPC.
The first FIR, filed in November 2023 in Jalgaon district, alleged unlawful assembly and assault. A day later, a counter FIR was filed by the opposing side, containing allegations of rape and criminal intimidation. The apex court said this sequence of events lent “a certain context to the allegations,” suggesting that the rape FIR “may have been a reactionary step.”
The court noted that the complainant in the second FIR had filed an affidavit in March 2024 before the high court, expressing her clear intent not to pursue the case. She affirmed the amicable settlement and stated that she had received ₹5 lakh towards marriage-related expenses. She was now married and wished to move on, according to the affidavit.
“Continuation of the trial would not serve any meaningful purpose. It would only prolong distress for all concerned, especially the complainant, and burden the courts without the likelihood of a productive outcome,” the bench observed.
While recognising that the offence under Section 376 IPC is “grave and heinous” and ordinarily not amenable to quashing on settlement, the court reiterated that the power under Section 482 CrPC to quash proceedings exists “to secure the ends of justice” and must be exercised based on the specific facts of each case.
In this case, given the complainant’s unequivocal disinterest in pursuing the matter and the mutual resolution between the parties, the Supreme Court found sufficient ground to invoke its inherent powers and quash the FIRs.
