In Brief
This appeal challenged a conviction under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act for making caste-based insults during a property dispute. The Court held that its Article 142 powers can quash criminal proceedings based on voluntary compromise even in non-compoundable offences under special statutes, provided: the proceedings are pending before an appellate forum; the offence is not heinous; the complainant has entered the compromise freely; and the statute's purpose would not be undermined. The Court quashed the proceedings after finding the dispute arose from a civil property matter, both parties belonged to weaker sections, and decades had passed without further incident. The Court affirmed recent jurisprudence establishing that extraordinary constitutional powers exist to do complete justice in appropriate cases.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.