Criminal Proceedings Can Be Quashed At Post-Conviction Stage Invoking Power U/S 482 CrPC Upon Settlement Between Victim & Convict: Kerala High Court

Criminal proceedings involving non-compoundable offence can be quashed at post-conviction stage invoking the power under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure upon a settlement between the convict and the victim, the Kerala High Court held. “If requirements of S.482 of Cr.P.C were satisfied in the sense that it was necessary to prevent abuse of the process of any Court or to secure the ends of justice, the criminal proceedings involving non-compoundable offence could be quashed notwithstanding the fact that the order of conviction was already passed against the accused provided offence in question does not fall in the category of offences prohibited for compounding in terms of the pronouncement of the Apex Court.”, Justice Kauser Edappagath observed. The court added that there cannot be limitation on such powers for being exercised only prior to conviction of an accused.