New Delhi, August 7, 2023Justice

In a ruling highlighting the need for expeditious justice and fairness, the Supreme Court of India quashed the chargesheet filed against an executive engineer in connection with a minor office altercation that occurred in 2014. The court, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M. Trivedi, took into account the trivial nature of the allegations and the lack of progress in the trial proceedings, expressing concern that continuing the case would amount to harassment of the appellant.

The appellant, an assistant engineer at UP Power Corporation Limited, had been charged under Sections 323, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following an altercation with a fellow employee. 

The incident had taken place on September 11, 2014, over a disagreement regarding articles to be provided to a consumer from the office store. The appellant lodged an FIR against the respondent, a peon in the same office, accusing him of abuse, threats, and an attempt to assault him with a slipper. In response, the respondent filed a counter FIR claiming that the appellant had threatened to kill him.

Over the years, the legal proceedings had languished without significant progress, prompting the appellant to move an application before the Allahabad High Court to quash the proceedings. However, his plea was dismissed. Aggrieved by this decision, the appellant filed an appeal before the Supreme Court.

In its observation, the apex court bench noted that the allegations were of an exceedingly trivial nature and that the incident should have been resolved amicably on the day it occurred. The court expressed its concern about the prolonged delay in the proceedings and the potential for the appellant's harassment, underscoring that continuing with the case would amount to persecution.

Justice Khanna, speaking on behalf of the bench, remarked, "As such a petty incident which took place in their office should have been resolved by the parties on that day itself, instead of stretching it so far." The court further emphasized that justice delayed is justice denied and highlighted the need for timely resolution of cases.

In light of these considerations, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal and quashed the proceedings that were pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. The ruling sets a precedent for recognizing the importance of timely justice and preventing the abuse of legal processes in cases involving minor disputes.

Case Details:

• Case Title: Sunil Kumar v State of UP
• Bench: Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M. Trivedi
• Charges: Sections 323, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
• Outcome: Chargesheet quashed, proceedings before Chief Judicial Magistrate nullified

This ruling is likely to have a lasting impact on the judicial system by emphasizing the need to prioritize swift resolution of minor cases and preventing undue harassment of individuals involved in such disputes.

Click here to read/download order