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Gurpreet Singh and Ors. vs. State NCT of Delhi and Anr.

Writ Petition (Criminal) · 2026:DHC:7870Decided 14 Sept 2026New Delhi Bench
W.P.(CRL) 2823/2026CNR: DLHC010433252026
Justice Manoj Jain

Background

An FIR was registered against the petitioners under Section 69 BNS (sexual relations on false promise of marriage) after the complainant alleged that petitioner No. 1 had refused to marry her despite their physical relationship. Before any charge-sheet was filed, the couple actually got married at an Arya Samaj Mandir, and the complainant told the Court she now wished to withdraw her complaint as she was happily married and living with him.

Decision Breakdown

The complainant appeared in person and confirmed under oath that she had married petitioner No. 1 voluntarily, without pressure, and had no further grievance. Relying on precedent that criminal proceedings can be quashed where a genuine, voluntary settlement makes their continuation pointless, the Court exercised its inherent power under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 to quash the FIR and all related proceedings against all petitioners, including the accused's mother and brother-in-law.

Lesson Learnt

Courts can quash even serious criminal cases like this one where the parties have genuinely reconciled and married, provided the settlement is shown to be free, voluntary, and verified directly with the complainant in court.

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