Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 24: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed a criminal complaint filed against Potha Sarpanch Ram Krishan and ten others-mostly his family members and neighbours from Potha village of Rajouri district-observing that the allegations were sweeping and appeared to be a malicious afterthought.
Justice Rahul Bharti, while deciding petition, set aside the complaint (File No. 63/Comp) pending before the Sub-Judge (Special Mobile Magistrate), Rajouri, along with the cognizance order dated January 29, 2022.
As per the order, the complaint pertained to an alleged incident of January 27, 2020, invoking offences under Sections 341/323/504/506/354 IPC. The court noted that the complaint, filed only on January 29, 2022, was itself indicative of an "afterthought" aimed at harassing the accused, particularly as it named multiple persons, including women, without clearly assigning roles.
The petitioners argued that the complainant had contested and lost the Sarpanch election against petitioner Ram Krishan and was allegedly using litigation as a tool of vendetta; the court also recorded that an earlier FIR involving the petitioners' family had already been challenged before the High Court.
Accordingly, the High Court allowed the petition under Section 482 CrPC and directed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the trial court for consigning the complaint to records as quashed.
—(JNF) |
