Dismissed¶19

Amarjit Singh v. the State of NCT of Delhi

Delhi HC16 Sept 2025CRL.M.C./6570/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Petition dismissed with liberty to the petitioner to raise all arguments and issues before the learned Trial Court while addressing arguments on charge; pending applications disposed of; petitioner at liberty to approach this Court in case any grievance remains in future. ¶19

Amarjit Singh Vs the State of NCT of Delhi — Delhi HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the petition seeking quashing of FIR No. 387/2018 and the proceedings emanating therefrom should be entertained by the High Court after filing of the chargesheet and cognizance, when the Trial Court is hearing arguments on charge, given that the arguments raised in the petition can be raised before the Trial Court while arguing on charge. +1 more

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Court's answer

Although this Court is empowered to quash criminal proceedings even after filing of the chargesheet to secure the ends of justice or to prevent abuse of law, it is well settled that ordinarily this Court should be cautious to exercise inherent jurisdiction and interfere with proceedings after a chargesheet has been filed following thorough investigation.

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Ratio / Principle

It is not apposite to entertain the quashing petition at this stage, after seven years of registration of the FIR, especially when the learned Trial Court is seized of the matter and hearing arguments on charge.

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Delhi High Court (Amit Mahajan, J.) declined to entertain CRL.M.C. 6570/2025 seeking quashing of FIR No. 387/2018 dated 15.07.2018, PS Mukherjee Nagar (Sections 288/304A IPC), registered on the death of a labourer engaged for renovation of a Gurudwara whose President the petitioner is stated to be. The petition was filed only after chargesheet (filed 2021), cognizance (taken 31.08.2021) and the petitioner's appearance before the Trial Court, at the stage of arguments on charge. Relying on State of Odisha v. Pratima Mohanty, (2022) 16 SCC 703, the Court held that although it may quash proceedings even post-chargesheet, inherent jurisdiction should ordinarily be exercised cautiously after a chargesheet filed upon thorough investigation, and found it not apposite to entertain the petition seven years after the FIR while the Trial Court heard arguments on charge. Petition dismissed with liberty to raise all arguments and issues on charge before the Trial Court; pending applications disposed of; liberty reserved to approach the High Court for any future grievance.

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$~57

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- CRL.M.C. 6570/2025 & CRL.M.A. Nos. 27683-84/2025 AMARJIT SINGH .....Petitioner

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Through: Mr. Subhash Chugh, Mr. Keshav Ahuja, Mr. Utkarsh and Ms. Anshu Raj, Advocates.

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versus

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THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sunil Kumar Gautam, APP for the State with SI Rajesh Kumar, PS Mukherjee Nagar.

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CORAM:

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT MAHAJAN O R D E R % 16.09.2025

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The present petition is filed seeking quashing of FIR No. 387/2018 dated 15.07.2018, registered at police station Mukherjee Nagar, for the offences under Sections 288/304A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘ IPC ’) including the proceedings emanating therefrom. Chargesheet has been filed in the present case.

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The FIR was registered pursuant to the death of a labourer, who was engaged for renovation work of the Gurudwara. The petitioner is stated to be the President of Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha.

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The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner cannot be held responsible for the death of the labourer. He submits that the contractor was engaged for the purpose of carrying out the renovation and the victim was also

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 19/09/2025 at 12:10:43

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employed by the said contractor.

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It is pertinent to note that the FIR was registered way back in the year 2018. The chargesheet was filed in the year 2021 and the cognizance was taken on 31.08.2021. 5. The petitioner has since appeared before the learned Trial Court and it is stated that the matter is at the stage of arguments on charge.

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Undisputedly, all arguments as raised in the present petition can be raised before the learned Trial Court while arguing on charge. It is not the case of the petitioner that he had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR at the very inception.

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While this Court is empowered to quash criminal proceedings even after filing of chargesheet to secure the ends of justice or to prevent abuse of law, it is well settled that ordinarily, this Court should be cautious to exercise inherent jurisdiction and interfere with the proceedings after chargesheet has been filed after thorough investigation [Ref. State of Odisha v. Pratima Mohanty and Others : (2022) 16 SCC 703 ].

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In view of the above, this Court does not consider it apposite to entertain the present petition at this stage after seven years of registration of FIR, especially when the learned Trial Court is seized of the matter and is hearing the arguments on charge.

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The present petition is dismissed with the liberty to the petitioner to raise all arguments and issues before the learned Trial Court while addressing arguments on charge. Pending application also stands disposed of.

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Needless to state that the petitioner is at liberty to

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This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 19/09/2025 at 12:10:43

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approach this Court in case any grievance remains in future.

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AMIT MAHAJAN, J

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 DU

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Amarjit Singh v. the State of NCT of Delhi

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Amarjit Singh v. the State of NCT of Delhi

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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What the court decided

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