In Brief
The appellant purchased a plot by sale deed registered in 1994. The second respondent subsequently filed a civil suit seeking cancellation of the deed, alleging it was executed fraudulently. The same party then initiated criminal proceedings against the appellant under IPC sections relating to forgery and fraud. The Supreme Court held that since the identical issue was already pending before the civil court, parallel criminal proceedings on the same facts constituted abuse of process. The Court quashed the criminal proceedings, especially given the appellant's age (87 years) and the absence of allegations of signature forgery or impersonation. The civil court was left free to decide the pending suits on merit.
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