Puneet S Vs State of Karnataka — Dowry and Cruelty | Karnataka HC (2025)

Puneet S Vs State of Karnataka — Dowry and Cruelty | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petition allowed; the impugned proceedings in C.C.No.16601/2023 on the file of the XXXVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate for offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 of IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 quashed.

Issue for consideration

Whether the entire proceedings in C.C.No.16601/2023 (FIR Cr.No.49/2023) against the petitioners for offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 are liable to be quashed as an abuse of process of law.

Court's answer

On perusal of the complaint, FIR, charge-sheet material, charge-sheet summary, statements of witnesses and documents, the necessary ingredients constituting the offences under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act are conspicuously absent and not forthcoming in the said documents.

Ratio / Principle

Continuation of the impugned proceedings, qua the petitioner, would amount to abuse of process of law warranting interference in the present petition.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Criminal Petition (S.482 CrPC / S.528 BNSS) by husband (Accused No.1) and his mother (Accused No.2) seeking quashing of entire proceedings in C.C.No.16601/2023 (Cr.No.49/2023, Basavanagudi Women Police Station) arising from the wife-complainant's complaint dated 22.02.2023, for offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, pending before the XXXVII Addl. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bangalore. Perusing the complaint, FIR, charge-sheet material, charge-sheet summary and witness statements, the High Court found the necessary ingredients of the aforesaid offences conspicuously absent, held that continuation of the proceedings qua the petitioners would amount to abuse of process of law, allowed the petition and quashed the proceedings. Respondent No.2 (complainant-wife), though served, remained unrepresented and did not contest. Single-judge oral order of S.R. Krishna Kumar J., dated 10-07-2025.

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HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 10^TH DAY OF JULY, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR

CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 1546 OF 2025

BETWEEN:

PUNEET S, S/O SHANKAR V, AGED 35 YEARS, R/AT NO. 304, 6TH 'A' CROSS. SRINIVASNAGAR. BANGALORE - 560 080.

NIRMALA K

W/O PRABHAKAR A AGED 53 YEARS, R/AT NO. 304, 6TH 'A' CROSS, SRINIVASNAGAR, BANGALORE - 560 080.

Digitally signed by SHARADAVANI B

Location: High Court of Karnataka

(BY SRI. MANJUNATH B.R, ADVOCATE)

AND:

…PETITIONERS

STATE OF KARNATAKA

BY BASAVANGUDI WOMAN POLICE, REPRESENTED BY, STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE - 560 001.

SANDHYA W/O PUNEETH S,

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AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS, R/AT NO.3, 3RD CROSS, N.R COLONY, BASAVANAGUDI, BANGALORE - 560 004. PRESENTLY R/AT NO.63, SANNIDHI ROAD, 1ST BLOCK, N.R. COLONY, BANGALORE - 560 004.

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI. NAGESHWARAPPA K, HCGP FO R1; R2 IS SERVED AND UNREPRESENTED)

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 482 OF CR.PC (FILED U/S 528 BNNS) PRAYING TO QUASH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDINGS IN C.C.NO.16601/2023 (CR.NO.49/2023) OF BASAVANAGUDI WOMEN POLICE STATION REGISTERED FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 498A, 504, 506 OF IPC AND U/S 4 OF DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE XXXVII ADDL. CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE AT BANGALORE.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR

ORAL ORDER

In this petition, petitioners seeks the following relief:

"WHEREFORE the petitioners above named most respectfully prays that this Hon'ble court may be pleased to quash the entire proceeding in C.C No.16601/2023 (Cr.No. 49/2023) of Basavanagudi women Police Station registered for the offences punishable U/s 498(A), 504, 506 of IPC and U/s 4 of Dowry Prohibition act, pending on the file of XXXVII Addl. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Bangalore, in the interest of Justice."

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Heard learned counsel for the petitioners, learned

HCGP for respondent No.1 and perused the material on record.

Respondent No.2 having been served with notice,

has chosen to remain unrepresented and has not contested the petition.

Perusal of the material on record will indicate that respondent No.2 is the wife of petitioner No.1, while petitioner No.2 is mother of petitioner No.1. Respondent No.2 filed the impugned complaint dated 22.02.2023, which was registered as an FIR in Cr.No.49/2023, against the petitioners/accused Nos.1 and 2 and husband of petitioner No.2 for alleged offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

After investigation, the police authorities filed the impugned charge sheet which is currently pending in C.C.No.16601/2023 before the trial Court. In this context, the impugned complaint reads as under:

"��ೕ�ಇ�ೆ�ಕ�� Typed copy of complaint

ಬಸವನಗು�ಮ��ಾ��ೕ��ೆ�ೕಷ� ಬಸವನಗು�

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HC-KAR

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B�ಾಂಕಐದುಮೂರು 2023 ರಂದುಸಮಯ 12 ಗಂ\ೆCೆsaEಾ!Pಾರaಂದ ದೂರನು' ಪoೆದುtಾuಾ. S. ಸ. 49/2023 Nಾಲಂ 498(A) 504 506 IPC bಾಗೂ 4 �s ಅv aತ�ದೂರುPಾಖ�ಸು,ೆ*ೕ�ೆ ."

6. The charge sheet summary filed in the instant case,

reads as under:

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¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ UÀAqÀ£À ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°è ªÁ¸ÀªÁVzÀÄÝ, ¸Àé®à ¢£À DgÉÆÃ¦UÀ¼ÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ£ÀÄß ZÉ£ÁßV £ÉÆÃrPÉÆArgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £ÀAvÀgÀzÀ°è J2 DgÉÆÃ¦ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ ¤ªÀÄä vÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄzÀÄªÉAiÀÄ°è GqÀÄUÉÆgÉAiÀiÁV PÉÆlÄÖ a£Áß¨sÀgÀt ¸ÁPÁUÀÄªÀÅ¢®è E£ÀÆß ºÉaÑ£À a£Áß¨sÀgÀt ºÁUÀÆ ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß vÉUÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ §gÀÄªÀAvÉ QgÀÄPÀÄ¼À ¤ÃqÀ®Ä ¥ÁægÀA©ü¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ ¸Àé®à ¢£ÀUÀ¼À £ÀAvÀgÀ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ UÀ©üðtÂAiÀiÁVzÀÄÝ, ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ£ÀÄß J2 DgÉÆÃ¦ qÉ°ªÀjUÉ vÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ PÀ¼ÀÄ»¹gÀÄªÀÅ¢®è. £ÀAvÀgÀzÀ°è ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ MAzÀÄ UÀAqÀÄ ªÀÄUÀÄ d¤¹zÀÄÝ, ªÀÄUÀÄ«UÉ 2 wAUÀ¼ÁzÁUÀ J2 DgÉÆÃ¦ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄUÀÄ«UÉ JzÉ ºÁ®£ÀÄß PÀÄr¸À®Ä ©qÀÄwÛgÀ°¯Áè ªÀÄUÀÄªÀ£ÀÄß ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjAzÀ zÀÆgÀ ªÀiÁqÀ®Ä ¥ÀæAiÀÄwß¸ÀÄwÛgÀÄvÁÛgÉ, J1 DgÉÆÃ¦ J2 DgÉÆÃ¦AiÀÄ ªÀiÁvÀ£ÀÄß PÉÃ½PÉÆAqÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 ªÀÄvÀÄÛ CªÀgÀ vÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄªÀjUÉ CªÁZÀåªÁV ¨ÉÊ¢gÀÄvÁÛgÉ, ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ£ÀÄß vÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄªÀgÀ eÉÆvÉUÉ ªÀiÁqÀ£ÁqÀ®Ä ©qÀÄwÛgÀ°¯Áè, ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ ¨ÉzÀjUÉ ºÁQgÀÄvÁÛgÉ J2 DgÉÆÃ¦

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HC-KAR

©zÀÝgÀ¨ÉÃPÀÄ JAzÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ ¢£ÁAPÀ:22.02.2023 gÀAzÀÄ vÀ£Àß ªÀÄUÀÄªÀ£ÀÄß JwÛPÉÆAqÀÄ J1 J2 DgÉÆÃ¦UÀ½UÉ UÉÆvÁÛUÀzÀAvÉ vÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ §A¢gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. F jÃwAiÀiÁV J1 J2 DgÉÆÃ¦UÀ¼ÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀjUÉ QgÀÄPÀÄ¼À ¤ÃrgÀÄªÀÅzÀÄ vÀ¤SÁ PÁ®zÀ°è ®¨sÀåªÁzÀ ¸ÁQë ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¸ÁPÁëzsÁgÀUÀ½AzÀ zÀÈqsÀ¥ÀnÖgÀÄvÀÛzÉ J1 J2 DgÉÆÃ¦UÀ¼À «gÀÄzÀÞ PÀ®A: 498(J), 504, 506 L¦¹ ºÁUÀÆ 4 r.¦. DPïÖ jÃvÁå WÀ£À £ÁåAiÀiÁ®AiÀÄPÉÌ zÉÆÃµÁgÉÆÃ¥ÀuÁ ¥ÀnÖAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¸À°è¹gÀÄvÀÛzÉ."

Perusal of the averments made in the complaint, FIR, charge sheet material, charge sheet summary, statement of witnesses, documents etc., clearly establishes that the necessary ingredients constituting the aforesaid offences are conspicuously absent and are missing and are not forthcoming in the said documents and consequently, in the facts and circumstances of the instant case, I am of the view that continuation of the impugned proceedings, qua the petitioner, would amount to abuse of process of law warranting interference in the present petition.

In the result, I pass the following:

ORDER

i. The petition is hereby allowed.

ii. The impugned proceedings passed in C.C.No.16601/2023 on the file of the XXXVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate for the

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HC-KAR

offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 of IPC and U/s 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is hereby quashed.

Sd/(S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE

rv List No.: 1 Sl No.: 24 CT: BHK