Allowed¶21

Narender Dhama & Ors. v. the State of NCT of Delhi & Anr.

Delhi HC18 Mar 2026CRL.M.C./1964/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

FIR quashing; Section 528 BNSS 2023; Sections 498A/406/34 IPC; matrimonial dispute; mediation settlement dated 16.05.2025; Mediation Centre Karkardooma Courts; alimony; maintenance; divorce by mutual consent; Demand Drafts Canara Bank 05.01.2026; settlement Rs.10,00,000/-; exercise in futility; Jitendra Raghuvanshi (2013) 4 SCC 58; Gian Singh (2012) 10 SCC 303; Narinder Singh (2014) 6 SCC 466; High Court of Delhi; CRL.M.C. 1964/2026; Justice Saurabh Banerjee; 18.03.2026.

What did the court decide?

Quashing of FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 registered at PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC and all proceedings emanating therefrom; petition and pending application disposed of. ¶21

Narender Dhama & Ors. Vs the State of NCT of Delhi & Anr. — Dowry and Cruelty | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶21

Issue for consideration

Whether FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 registered at PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC and all proceedings emanating therefrom should be quashed in view of the Mediation Settlement dated 16.05.2025 arrived at between petitioner no.1 and respondent no.2 before the Mediation Centre, Karkardooma Courts, Delhi.

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Court's answer

Since the petition is accompanied by a settlement voluntarily arrived at between the parties, who shall remain bound by all its terms and conditions, and following the law laid down by the Supreme Court in Jitendra Raghuvanshi (2013) 4 SCC 58, Gian Singh (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh (2014) 6 SCC 466, there is nothing left to corroborate and prove the case of the prosecution, and continuation of the FIR against the petitioners will be an exercise in futility.

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Ratio / Principle

The present petition is allowed and FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 registered at PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC and all proceedings emanating therefrom are hereby quashed; the petition alongwith the pending application is disposed of accordingly.

¶21

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Quashing of matrimonial-dispute FIR: Petition under Section 528 BNSS 2023 by Narender Dhama & Ors. sought quashing of FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 (PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi) under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC. Parties had arrived at a Mediation Settlement dated 16.05.2025 before the Mediation Centre, Karkardooma Courts, Delhi; petitioner no.1 had paid Rs.6,00,000/- out of the total settlement of Rs.10,00,000/- and handed over Demand Drafts of Rs.3,00,000/- and Rs.1,00,000/- (both Canara Bank, dated 05.01.2026) in Court as full and final settlement of all present, past and future claims including alimony and maintenance; the marriage stood dissolved by mutual consent and respondent no.2 raised no objection. Following Jitendra Raghuvanshi (2013) 4 SCC 58, Gian Singh (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh (2014) 6 SCC 466, the Court held that with nothing left to corroborate and prove the prosecution case, continuation of the FIR would be an exercise in futility, allowed the petition and quashed the FIR and all proceedings emanating therefrom (Saurabh Banerjee, J.; 18.03.2026).

¶1

$~48

¶2

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- CRL.M.C. 1964/2026 & CRL.M.A. 8086/2026

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NARENDER DHAMA & ORS. .....Petitioners

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Through: Mr. Dilawar Singh, Adv.

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versus

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THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya, APP for the State with SI Vijay Pal Singh, PSCWC, Nanak Pura. Mr. Mandeep Kumar Sharma and Ms. Poonam Sharma, Advs. for R-2. R2present in person.

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CORAM:

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SAURABH BANERJEE

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O R D E R % 18.03.2026

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By virtue of the present petition under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the petitioners seek quashing of FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 registered at PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi under Sections 498A/406/34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ( IPC ) and all proceedings emanating therefrom, in view of the Mediation Settlement dated 16.05.2025 [ Pages 61-72 ] arrived at between the petitioner no.1 and the respondent no.2 before the Mediation Centre, Karkardooma Courts, Delhi which is accompanied by their respective proofs of identities as also their respective affidavit(s).

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Issue notice.

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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 20/03/2026 at 12:59:12

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Learned APP for the State accepts notice and submits that she has no objection to the quashing of the aforesaid FIR.

¶16

Respondent no.2, present in Court, also accepts notice and affirms the terms of the aforesaid Settlement dated 16.05.2025 whereby the petitioner no.1 has already paid her a sum of Rs.6,00,000/- out of the total settlement amount of Rs.10,00,000/-. Further, two Demand Drafts being DD No.59691 dated 05.01.2026 of Rs.3,00,000/- (Canara Bank) and DD No.59690 dated 05.01.2026 of Rs.1,00,000/- (Canara Bank) have been handed over in Court to her today as full and final settlement of all her present, past and future claims including alimony, maintenance, etc. Respondent no.2 further submits that her marriage with the petitioner no.1 has since been dissolved by mutual consent and she has no objection to the quashing of the aforesaid FIR.

¶17

The petitioners and the respondent no.2, present in Court, as well as their credentials, as on record, have been identified by the IO.

¶18

Facts disclose that the present petition is accompanied by a settlement already arrived voluntarily between the parties along with their respective affidavit(s) qua the aforesaid effect. In view thereof, the parties shall remain bound by all the terms and conditions of the settlement arrived inter se themselves. As such, following the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Jitendra Raghuvanshi & Ors. vs. Babita Raguvanshi & Anr. (2013) 4 SCC 58 , Gian Singh vs. State of Punjab & Anr. (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh & Ors. vs. State of Punjab & Anr. (2014) 6 SCC 466 , since there is nothing left to corroborate and prove the case of the prosecution, continuation of the aforesaid FIR against the petitioners will be an exercise in futility.

¶19

This is a digitally signed order.

¶20

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 20/03/2026 at 12:59:12

¶21

Resultantly, the present petition is allowed and FIR No.18/2018 dated 26.03.2018 registered at PS: Crime (Women) Cell, Delhi under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC and all proceedings emanating therefrom are hereby quashed.

¶22

Accordingly, the present petition, alongwith the pending application, is disposed of in the aforesaid terms.

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SAURABH BANERJEE, J

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MARCH 18, 2026/Ab

¶25

This is a digitally signed order.

¶26

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 20/03/2026 at 12:59:12

Narender Dhama & Ors. v. the State of NCT of Delhi & Anr.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Narender Dhama & Ors. v. the State of NCT of Delhi & Anr.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

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