Sujeet Verma and Ors. vs. State NCT of Delhi and Anr.
Background
Petitioner no.1 and respondent no.2 married in 2021 and separated in 2022; an FIR was registered in 2024 under Sections 85/316/351/3(5) BNS alleging cruelty and threats. The parties later signed a mediation settlement (May 2026) agreeing to a mutual-consent divorce and a full-and-final payment of Rs.3,50,000, which was duly completed, with divorce granted in July 2026.
Decision Breakdown
Citing Jitendra Raghuvanshi v. Babita Raghuvanshi, the Court held that courts should encourage genuine settlement of matrimonial disputes even where offences are non-compoundable, and since the entire settlement amount stood paid and the complainant no longer wished to pursue the case, the FIR and all consequential proceedings were quashed.
Lesson Learnt
A fully performed mediated settlement, divorce finalised and compensation paid in full, remains a strong basis for quashing a matrimonial FIR even under the newer BNS/BNSS framework.