In Brief
Two criminal appeals challenged the conviction of accused persons under Section 326 IPC (causing grievous hurt) by the High Court of Karnataka, which had upheld the trial court's judgment. The Supreme Court found the convictions justified on evidence. However, both the accused and complainant sought permission to compound the offence, asserting that they were related parties who had lived peacefully together for nine years following the incident. The Court exercised its discretionary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to permit compounding, finding that the parties had freely agreed to settle and that genuine reconciliation had occurred. The convictions and sentences were modified and merged in the Court's order, releasing the accused from serving any further sentence. The appeals were disposed of.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.