Rajesh Khandelwal & Anr. Vs State NCT of Delhi and Anr. — Dowry and Cruelty | Delhi HC (2026)

Rajesh Khandelwal & Anr. Vs State NCT of Delhi and Anr. — Dowry and Cruelty | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Quashing of FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 of the IPC and Section 4 of the DP Act and all proceedings emanating therefrom; petition alongwith the pending application disposed of in the aforesaid terms.

Issue for consideration

Whether FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 of the IPC and Section 4 of the DP Act, and all proceedings emanating therefrom, should be quashed in view of the Settlement Deed dated 01.03.2026 arrived at between the petitioners and respondent no.2. +1 more

Court's answer

A settlement was voluntarily arrived at between the petitioners and respondent no.2, and the parties shall remain bound by all the terms and conditions of that settlement arrived inter se themselves.

Ratio / Principle

Following the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Jitendra Raghuvanshi (2013) 4 SCC 58, Gian Singh (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh (2014) 6 SCC 466, and considering that the respondent/complainant has since married and is a mother of one child, since there is nothing left to corroborate and prove the case of the prosecution, continuation of the FIR would be an exercise in futility.

Key takeaways

The petition is allowed and FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 of the IPC and Section 4 of the DP Act, and all proceedings emanating therefrom, are hereby quashed.ratio¶¶18

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Delhi (Saurabh Banerjee, J; order dated 04.05.2026) allowed a petition under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and quashed FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, alongwith all proceedings emanating therefrom. Quashing rested on a Settlement Deed dated 01.03.2026 between the petitioners and respondent no.2 (the complainant), who affirmed in Court that she had already received Rs.8,50,000/- as full and final settlement of all her present, past and future claims and had no objection to the quashing; she had since remarried and was a mother of one child. Following the Supreme Court's law in Jitendra Raghuvanshi (2013) 4 SCC 58, Gian Singh (2012) 10 SCC 303 and Narinder Singh (2014) 6 SCC 466, the court held that nothing remained to corroborate and prove the prosecution case, making continuation of the FIR an exercise in futility; both parties stand bound by the terms of the settlement.

$~36

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

- CRL.M.C. 2242/2026

RAJESH KHANDELWAL & ANR. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Aakash Naval, MR. Sahanawaz, Mr. M. Khan, Mr. Abhishek Naval, Advs. with petitioners in person

versus

STATE NCT OF DELHI AND ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Raghuinder Verma, APP for the State with Mr. Dinesh Kumar, Ms. Divya Bakshi and Ms. Upasna Bakshi, Advocates IO – appearance not given R-2 present in person

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SAURABH BANERJEE

O R D E R % 04.05.2026

By virtue of the present petition under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the petitioners seek quashing of FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ( IPC ) and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 ( DP Act ) and all proceedings emanating therefrom, in view of the Settlement Deed dated 01.03.2026 [ Annexure P3 ] arrived between the petitioners and the respondent no.2, which is accompanied by their respective proofs of identity.

Issue notice. Learned APP for the State accepts notice and submits

This is a digitally signed order.

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that he has no objection to the quashing of the aforesaid FIR.

Learned APP for the State has handed over a copy of the status report which is taken on record. 4. Respondent no.2, present in Court, also accepts notice and affirms the terms of the aforesaid Settlement Deed dated 01.03.2026, whereby the petitioners have already paid her the total settlement amount of Rs.8,50,000/- as full and final settlement of all her present, past and future claims and has no objection to the quashing of the aforesaid FIR.

The petitioners and the respondent no.2, present in Court, as well as their credentials, as on record, have been identified by the IO. 6. Facts disclose that a settlement has already been arrived voluntarily between the petitioners and the respondent no.2 and the present petition is accompanied by their respective affidavit(s). In view thereof, the parties shall remain bound by all the terms and conditions of the settlement arrived inter se themselves. Moreover, considering that the respondent/ complainant, who is present in person, has since married and is a mother of one child. 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 petitioner will be an exercise in futility. 7. Accordingly, the present petition is allowed and FIR No. 363/2018 dated 15.12.2018 registered at PS.: Pahar Ganj, Delhi under Sections 376/420/506 of the IPC and Section 4 of the DP Act and all proceedings

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 06/05/2026 at 12:13:18

emanating therefrom are hereby quashed.

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

SAURABH BANERJEE, J

MAY 4, 2026/ bh

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 06/05/2026 at 12:13:18