"Do One Month Community Service To Atone For Your Sins", Delhi HC Directs Man Accused Of Assaulting Woman While Quashing FIR

A single-judge bench comprising of Justice Subramonium Prasad passed the direction while imposing a cost of Rs. 1 lakh after observing that a perusal of the complaint showed that the petitioner had acted in a very high-handed manner.

Facts in brief

An FIR was registered after the woman victim made a formal complaint that on 15^th July 2020, she was sitting at the PVR complex when petitioner herein came towards her and started talking to the prosecutrix and said that he is a millionaire.

When he was rebuked and asked to go away, he left, but after ten minutes he once again came there and tried to speak with the prosecutrix.

It was stated that the prosecutrix wanted to go away but the petitioner held her hand and twisted it behind her back, further, he hit the prosecutrix on her face and her spectacles fell down and in response to this, the petitioner hit the prosecutrix with his bag.

However, later on, the instant petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) was filed for quashing the FIR on the ground that the complainant and the petitioner/accused have amicably settled the matter and no useful purpose would be served in continuing the proceedings.

Court's order

At the outset, the Court noted that the victim is the ultimate sufferer and that she had been harassed by the petitioner and she was being further harassed in the proceedings initiated against the petitioner.

Further, noting that in the instant case there are CCTV footages which show that the petitioner had committed the offence under Section 354 and 506 IPC, the Court remarked,

"Since the complainant does not want to pursue the complaint it would be futile to continue with the prosecution."

Thus, quashing the FIR, the Court directed the petitioner to do some social service to atone for his sins and was also warned not to repeat such actions in the future.

The petitioner has been directed to do a one-month community service at the de-addiction Centre run by the Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses Centre, from 01.04.2021 to 30.04.2021.

Also, the amount of 1 Lakh has been directed to be paid to the following institutions:

a) Sum of Rs.25,000/-(Rupees Twenty Five Thousand Only) in the 'DHCBA Lawyers Social Security and Welfare Fund'.

b) Sum of Rs.25,000/-(Rupees Twenty Five Thousand Only) in the 'Nirmal Chhaya Foundation'.

c) Sum of Rs.50,000/-(Rupees Twenty Five Thousand Only) in the 'Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties.

In related news, the Delhi High Court recently directed a young accused of 21 years to do one-month community service at Gurudwara Bagala Sahib while quashing the FIR against him on the ground of a compromise being entered between the parties. The Court directed the community service to continue from 16th March to 16th April 2021.

Case title - Vikramjeet Singh v. State & anr. [CRL.M.C. 993/2021 & CRL.M.A. 5066/2021]

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