Md. Ekramul Ansari & Anr. vs. State of NCT of Delhi and Anr.
Background
Petitioner No.1 and respondent no. 2 were colleagues; she alleged that even after her marriage in November 2024, he continued to harass her, threatened self-harm if she did not respond to him, and circulated obscene material about her online with the assistance of his brother (petitioner No.2). An FIR was registered on this basis and the matter was still under investigation.
Decision Breakdown
The parties amicably settled the matter through a Memorandum of Understanding, and the complainant, appearing in person and verified by the investigating officer and her counsel, confirmed she had accepted the petitioners' apology and no longer wished to pursue the case. The Court, noting the petitioners' clean antecedents, quashed the FIR under its inherent powers, but conditioned the quashing on the petitioners depositing Rs. 25,000 as costs with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee within six weeks.
Lesson Learnt
Even in cases involving allegations of online harassment and circulation of obscene material, courts may quash proceedings on genuine settlement, though they can impose a monetary cost as a condition to discourage misuse of the quashing process.