High Court quashes FIR for accidental death under BNS following compromise between accused and victim's legal heirs.

The petitioners, Satya Prakash and Nand Kishor, moved a writ petition seeking the quashing of FIR No. 0141 of 2026, registered at P.S. Sitarganj, District Udham Singh Nagar.

The FIR implicated them under Sections 106(1) and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, following an incident resulting in a death.

A compounding application was filed alongside the petition, supported by affidavits from the petitioners and the respondents (the complainant, the wife of the complainant, and the wife of the deceased), asserting that the death was accidental and that all disputes had been settled amicably.

The State (AGA) noted that while the investigation was ongoing, the victims' refusal to pursue the matter rendered the investigation a "futile exercise".

1. Whether the High Court should exercise its power to quash criminal proceedings when the parties have entered into a compromise in a case involving an accidental death.

Inherent powers of the High Court to quash proceedings for the ends of justice.

The broad guidelines for compounding and quashing established by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Gian Singh v. State of Punjab (2012) 10 SCC 303, Narinder Singh & Others v. State of Punjab & another (2014) 6 SCC 466, and State of Madhya Pradesh v. Laxmi Narayan (2019) 5 SCC 688.

Where the dispute is resolved and the conviction is unlikely, continuation of proceedings constitutes an abuse of the process of law.

The Court observed that the victims (the mother and wife of the deceased) and the complainant were present in Court and confirmed their desire to settle the dispute, acknowledging the death as accidental.

The Court reasoned that since the parties have "buried the hatchet," the possibility of conviction is "remote and bleak".

Following the principles of Gian Singh and Narinder Singh, the Court found that forcing the continuation of criminal proceedings would cause "oppression, prejudice and injustice" to the accused and would be a waste of judicial and investigative resources.

The Court emphasized that unless a compromise is "abhorrent to lawful composition of society," the Court should give effect to the parties' desire to live in peace.

The Court quashed FIR No. 0141 of 2026 dated 22.03.2026, P.S. Sitarganj, District Udham Singh Nagar.