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Rakesh Sitaram Chaurasia & Ors. vs. State N.C.T. of Delhi & Anr.

Criminal Miscellaneous Case · 2026:DHC:8809Decided 6 Oct 2026New Delhi Bench
CRL.M.C. 7225/2026CNR: DLHC010462582026
Justice Ravinder Dudeja

Background

The complainant (respondent no.2) married petitioner no.1 in 2021; the parties separated the same year and an FIR was registered under Sections 498A/406/34 IPC, after which a charge-sheet was filed. The parties later settled before a Counselling Cell (2025), obtained divorce (January 2026), and the husband paid the complainant the full settlement amount of Rs.16,00,000.

Decision Breakdown

The Court held that continuing criminal proceedings after a genuine, fully-paid settlement in a private matrimonial dispute would serve no useful purpose, and exercising its inherent powers under Section 528 BNSS, quashed the FIR and all consequential proceedings, directing the settlement affidavits to be placed on the trial court record.

Lesson Learnt

Even after a charge-sheet has been filed, a High Court can still quash a matrimonial FIR once the parties reach and fully perform a genuine settlement, showing that reconciliation remains an available route up to trial.

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