Sri. Karthik Anandakumar Vs State of Karnataka — Dowry and Cruelty | Karnataka HC (2025)

Sri. Karthik Anandakumar Vs State of Karnataka — Dowry and Cruelty | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Quashing of the entire proceedings in C.C.No.24615/2023 (Crime No.34/2023), pending on the file of XI Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City (earlier VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru City), together with a direction to the Registry to send a copy of the order to the trial Court forthwith.

Issue for consideration

Whether the criminal proceedings arising out of Crime No. 34/2023 (charge-sheeted as C.C. No. 24615/2023) against the petitioners for offences under Sections 498A, 504, 506 r/w Section 34 IPC and Sections 3 & 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act should be quashed in view of the compromise arrived at between the petitioners and respondent No.2/complainant.

Court's answer

Respondent No.2/complainant admitted the compromise and had no objection to allowing the petition; the terms and conditions of the joint affidavit filed in the form of compromise petition were found by the Court to be legal and equitable, and the same were accepted.

Ratio / Principle

The petition filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C is allowed.

Key takeaways

The entire proceedings in C.C.No.24615/2023 (Crime No.34/2023) — on the file of VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru City, now transferred and pending on the file of XI Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City — are hereby quashed.ratio¶¶56
The Registry is directed to send a copy of the order to the trial Court forthwith (ancillary implementing direction, not a decision on an issue).obiter¶¶63

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Quashing — matrimonial compromise (S.482 Cr.P.C / S.528 BNSS): Criminal Petition No. 8636 of 2023 by four petitioners, led by petitioner No.1 Karthik Anandakumar (husband of respondent No.2/complainant Madhu Mitha M), sought quashing of FIR Crime No. 34/2023 of East Zone Women Police Station, Bengaluru, for offences under Sections 498A, 504, 506 r/w Section 34 IPC and Sections 3 & 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, charge-sheeted as C.C. No. 24615/2023, transferred from VI ACMM, Bengaluru City, to XI Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City. A joint affidavit-cum-compromise petition recorded that the parties settled on the advice of elders; petitioner No.1 and the complainant had filed a mutual divorce petition (M.C. No. 3226/2025) and agreed that the criminal case be closed before the divorce decree; the complainant was not interested in prosecuting the case. The complainant admitted the compromise before the Court with no objection. Holding the terms legal and equitable, Justice J.M. Khazi accepted the compromise, allowed the Section 482 petition and quashed the entire proceedings in C.C. No. 24615/2023 (Crime No. 34/2023); the Registry was directed to communicate the order to the trial Court forthwith.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 20^TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MS JUSTICE J.M.KHAZI

CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8636 OF 2023 (482(Cr.PC) /

528(BNSS))

BETWEEN:

SRI. KARTHIK ANANDAKUMAR S/O ANANDAKUMAR, AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS,

SMT DR. GEETHALAKSHMI, W/O ANANDAKUMAR, AGED ABOUT 62 YEARS, OCC: DOCTOR,

Digitally signed by REKHA R Location: High Court of Karnataka

SRI DR. J. ANANDAKUMAR, S/O JAMBULINGAM, AGED ABOUT 67 YEARS, OCC: DOCTOR (DMRD, DO) (RETD GOVT CIVIL SURGEON)

PRESENTLY PETITIONER NO.1 TO 3 ARE R/AT NO 23, CITY LIMIT ROAD, SECRETARIAL COLONY, ADAMBAKKAM, CHENNAI 600 088 TAMILNADU.

SRI KISHORE JAYAKUMAR S/O JAYAKUMAR, AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS, OCC: PRIVATE COMPANY, R/AT NO 246, BANASHANKARI, 6TH STAGE, 10TH BLOCK, BENGALURU 560 060.

…PETITIONERS

(BY SRI. LAKSHMIKANTH K., ADVOCATE)

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AND:

STATE OF KARNATAKA BY EAST ZONE WOMEN POLICE STATION, BENGAURU, REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BANGALORE 560 001.

SMT MADHU MITHA M W/O KARTHIK ANANDKUMAR AGED ABOUT 30 YEARS, R/AT NO 4, 1ST CROSS, CAMBRIDGE LAYOUT, INDHIRANGAR, BENGALURU 560 038.

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI.M.R.PATIL, HCGP FOR R1 SRI.SANJAY M. JAIN ADV FOR R2)

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.482 CR.P.C PLEASED TO QUASH THE FIR FILED AGAINST THE PETITIONER IN CR.NO.34/2023 OF RESPONDENT NO.1 EAST ZONE WOMEN POLICE STATION, BENGALURU FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S.498A, 504, 506 R/W SEC.34 OF IPC AND SEC.3 AND 4 OF DP ACT PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBEL VI ADDITIONAL CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE AT BENGALURU.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MS JUSTICE J.M.KHAZI

ORAL ORDER

Learned counsel for the petitioners and learned counsel for respondent No.2 as well as learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent No.1/State are present.

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A joint affidavit is filed by the petitioners and

respondent No.2/complainant in the form of compromise.

The terms of the compromise petition reads as

under:

"1. We state that we are the petitioners and respondent No.2/complainant in the above case and we are well conversant with the facts and circumstances of the case. Hence we are swearing to this affidavit.

2. I, the respondent No.2/complainant submits that I lodged a complaint against the petitioners before the respondent No.1 police station and same was registered in Crime. No. 0034/2023 for offences punishable under sections 498(A), 504, 506 R/W 34 IPC and section 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act against the petitioners, subsequently after investigation, the respondent No.1 police have submitted their charge sheet for the offence punishable under sections 498 (A), 504, 506 R/W 34 IPC and section 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act against the petitioners in CC No. 24615/2023. Earlier it was pending on the file of VI ACIM, Bengaluru City Now it is transferred and pending on the file of Hon'ble XI Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City.

3. We the petitioners and respondent No.2/complainant submits that due to the advise of elders and well wishers of both the sides now we compromised the matter

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between us and we have decided to put an end to the litigation and we don't want to continue the said case.

4. We the petitioner No.1 and respondent No.2 state that we filed a Mutual divorce petition in MC No. 3226/2025 pending on the file of Hon'ble 1^st Addl. Family Court at Bengaluru and I, the respondent No.2 agreed to cooperate with the petitioner No.1 to closure of the said Criminal case.

5. I, the respondent No.2/ complainant further submits that inview of settlement arrived and agreed mutual divorce petition in MC No. 3226/2025 pending on the file of learned 1^st Addl. Family Court, Bengaluru, I the respondent No.2 is not Interested in prosecuting/proceeding the above criminal case filed by me, leading the case further will not yield any result and it leads to wastage of valuable time of the Hon'ble court and accrues financial loss to the government exchequer.

6. We the Petitioner No.1 and respondent No.2 agreed that before getting decree of divorce in MC No. 3226/2025 pending on the file of learned 1^st Addl. Family Court, Bengaluru, the said Criminal case is to be closed, Hence we request this Hon'ble court be pleased to quash the entire proceedings against the petitioners in Cr No. 034/2023 and CC No. 24615/2023 of respondent No.1 for the offence punishable under sections 498(A), 504, 506 R/W 34 IPC and section 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act. Earlier it was pending on the file of VI ACJM, Bengaluru City Now it is transferred and pending on the file of

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Hon'ble XI Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City.

Hence, we most respectfully pray that this Hon'ble court may be pleased to pass necessary orders as this Hon'ble court deemed fit in the circumstance of the case, in the interest of Justice".

Respondent No.2/complainant admit the

compromise and submits that she has no objection to allow the petition. The terms and conditions of joint affidavit filed in the form of compromise petition are legal and equitable. The same is accepted and accordingly, following:

ORDER

(i) The petition filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C, is allowed.

(ii) The entire proceedings in C.C.No.24615/2023 (Crime No.34/2023)

on the file of VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru City, now it is transferred and pending on the

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file of XI Additional Chief Judicial

Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City, is hereby quashed.

(iii) The Registry is directed to send copy of

this order to the trial Court forthwith.

Sd/(J.M.KHAZI) JUDGE

KBM List No.: 1 Sl No.: 34

Procedural history

How this case reached the court

AI extract

Order under challenge
FIR in Crime No. 34/2023 registered by respondent No.1 East Zone Women Police Station, Bengaluru, and the resulting charge-sheeted case C.C. No. 24615/2023 for offences under Sections 498A, 504, 506 r/w Section 34 IPC and Sections 3 & 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, which the petitioners sought to quash.¶¶26
VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru City; transferred and now pending on the file of XI Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City
Prior proceeding
Respondent No.2/complainant lodged a complaint with respondent No.1 police station; FIR registered as Crime No. 0034/2023 for offences punishable under Sections 498(A), 504, 506 r/w 34 IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.¶¶39
Prior proceeding
After investigation, respondent No.1 police submitted a charge sheet against the petitioners in C.C. No. 24615/2023 for the same offences.¶¶39
Prior proceeding
The case was earlier pending on the file of VI ACIM (as printed), Bengaluru City; it was transferred and is now pending on the file of XI Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayohall, Bengaluru City.¶¶39
Prior proceeding
On the advice of elders and well-wishers of both sides, the petitioners and respondent No.2/complainant compromised the matter and decided to end the litigation.¶¶40
Prior proceeding
Petitioner No.1 and respondent No.2 filed a mutual divorce petition in M.C. No. 3226/2025; respondent No.2 stated she is not interested in prosecuting the criminal case she filed.¶¶46
Prior proceeding
Petitioner No.1 and respondent No.2 filed a mutual divorce petition in M.C. No. 3226/2025 (per the compromise affidavit, pending before the Family Court at Bengaluru), and respondent No.2 agreed to cooperate with petitioner No.1 towards closure of the criminal case.¶¶45
Prior proceeding
The parties agreed that the criminal case is to be closed before the decree of divorce in M.C. No. 3226/2025.¶¶47
Prior proceeding
By the compromise petition the parties prayed for quashing of the entire proceedings against the petitioners in Cr No. 034/2023 and C.C. No. 24615/2023.¶¶47