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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.  2022      OF 2012  (@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRL.) NO.7070 OF 2012)

SURAT SINGH  APPELLANT VERSUS

STATE OF UTTARANCHAL (NOW UTTARAKHAND)     RESPONDENTS & ANR.

O R D E R

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal, by special leave, is filed  against the judgment and order passed by the  High  Court  of  Judicature  of  Uttarakhand  at  Nanital in Criminal Revision No. 161 of 2004,  dated  23.03.2012.  The  accused  person,  revisionist  therein,  is  before  us  in  this  appeal.

3. In the instant case, Respondent no. 2,  Km. Purni Devi had filed an F.I.R. against the  appellant for outraging her modesty. After due  investigation,  charge-sheet  was  filed  against  the  appellant  for  offences  punishable  under

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Sections 323, 354 and 506 of the Indian Penal  Code, 1860 (the “IPC” for short).  

4. The learned Chief Judicial Magistrate,  Tehri-Garhwal in Criminal Case No. 921 of 2002,  vide judgment and order dated 07.04.2003, has  convicted the appellant under Sections 354 and  506 of the IPC and sentenced him to rigorous  imprisonment of one year with fine and rigorous  imprisonment  of  six  months,  respectively.  Aggrieved by the aforesaid order, the appellant  had unsuccessfully appealed before the learned  Sessions  Judge,  Tehri  Garhwal,  in  Criminal  Appeal  No.  5  of  2003.  The  said  appeal  was  rejected and the judgment and order passed by  the  learned  Magistrate  was  upheld,  vide  judgment  and  order  dated  14.09.2003.  The  appellant,  against  the  aforesaid  order  and  judgment, preferred Revision Petition No. 161  of 2004 before the High Court, wherein the High  Court,  vide  the  impugned  judgment  and  order  dated  23.03.2012,  has  dismissed  it.  The  appellant  questions  the  correctness  or

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otherwise of the impugned judgment and order in  this appeal.  

5. During the pendency of this appeal, we  are informed by the learned counsel appearing  for the parties that the parties, namely, the  appellant-accused  and  respondent  no.  2  have  entered  into  a  compromise  and,  accordingly,  respondent no. 2 has filed an affidavit before  this Court. The contents and terms of the said  compromise are reproduced hereinbelow:

“I, Km. Purni Devi, daughter of Shri Dhir  Singh, R/o. Village Rampur Patti Kunjani,  P.S.  Chamba,  District  Tihri-Garhwal,  presently at New Delhi, do hereby solemnly  affirms under oath as following :

1.

That I am the informant in FIR No.31/98,  dated  29.10.98  U/s.354,  323,  506  IPC  P.S.Chamba,  Distt.  Tihri-Garhwal,  lodged  against  Surat  Singh,  S/o.  Kamand  Singh,  R/o. Village Rampur, Patti-Kunjani, Tehsil  Narendra  Nagar,  District  Tehri-Garhwal,  Uttarakhand.

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2.

That on the basis of aforesaid FIR dated  29.10.98  lodged  by  me  against  the  aforesaid Surat Singh, S/o.Kamand Singh,  who is my neighbour was put in trial and  was convicted by Chief Judicial Magistrate  Tihri Garhwal, New Tihri for the offences  U/ss.354, 506 IPC and was awarded maximum  sentence of 1 year R.I., Rs.1000/- fine by  judgment and order dated 7.4.2003 passed  in Criminal Case No.921/02. Appeal filed  against the same was also dismissed by the  Sessions  Court  and  the  High  Court  by  judgment  and  order  dated  23.3.2012  has  dismissed  the  Revision  filed  by  the  aforesaid  Surat  Singh  and  affirmed  the  order of conviction passed by the trial  Court.

3.

That  the  aforesaid  Surat  Singh,  S/o.  Kamand Singh is my neighbour and his house  is just adjacent to my house and we are  living in the same village.  Earlier there  was old enmity of aforesaid Surat Singh  with  my  father  Shri  Dhir  Singh.   The  incident in relation to which I lodged FIR  against the aforesaid Surat Singh is of  the  year  1998  and  is  quite  old  and

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continuation of dispute on the basis of  said  old  incident,  will  only  increase  bitterness in my life.  Hence myself and  my family has decided to resolve all our  dispute  with  the  aforesaid  Surat  Singh,  S/o. Kamand Singh so that no bitterness  can  be  left  in  the  environment  of  our  village and we can set an example to live  in peace and harmony by resolving all our  disputes.

4.

That I have entered into compromise with  aforesaid Surat Singh and resolved all my  disputes with him in a harmonious manner  so that people of our village can live in  peace and harmony and bitterness be left  between us and our families.

5.

That the family members of aforesaid Surat  Singh  informed  me  that  he  is  in  jail  pursuant  to  the  order  of  conviction  affirmed by the High Court and observing  the sentence awarded.  I wish that in the  present matter our dispute may be settled  in an amicable manner and we should set  example for other persons of our village  to  resolve  the  dispute  in  a  peaceful  manner.  I hereby affirm that I have no

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grievance left against the aforesaid Surat  Singh, S/o. Kamand Singh and want to the  controversy  involved  between  me  and  aforesaid Surat Singh, to come to an end  so that we can live in peace and harmony  as good neighbours.”

6. We have heard learned counsel for the  parties and, in particular, the learned counsel  appearing  for  respondent  no.  2.   He  submits  that  he  has  compromised  the  lis  with  the  appellant  at  her  own  will.  In  view  of  the  above,  while  disposing  of  this  appeal,  we  accord permission to compound the offences and  the effect of this would be the acquittal of  the  accused  with  the  offences  he  is  charged  with.  

Ordered accordingly.

.......................J. (H.L. DATTU)

.......................J. (CHANDRAMAULI KR. PRASAD)

NEW DELHI;

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DECEMBER 10, 2012.