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Issues Involved:
1. Validity of the FIR and charge sheet under Section 498A IPC. 2. Scope and power of quashing an FIR and charge sheet under Section 482 CrPC. Detailed Analysis: 1. Validity of the FIR and charge sheet under Section 498A IPC: The appellant challenged the FIR and charge sheet filed against him under Section 498A IPC, arguing that no case for prosecution was made out. The FIR, filed by Respondent No. 2, alleged various instances of mental and physical harassment by the appellant, including ceasing financial support and spreading false information. The charge sheet reiterated these allegations, stating that the appellant committed the offense under Section 498A IPC. Section 498A IPC pertains to "Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty," where "cruelty" is defined as conduct likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or cause grave injury (Explanation a) or harassment with a view to coercing her to meet unlawful demands (Explanation b). Upon examining the FIR and charge sheet, the Court found no allegations suggesting conduct likely to drive Respondent No. 2 to commit suicide or cause grave injury, nor any harassment to coerce her to meet unlawful demands. Thus, the ingredients of Section 498A IPC were not met, and the FIR and charge sheet did not prima facie constitute an offense under this section. 2. Scope and power of quashing an FIR and charge sheet under Section 482 CrPC: The Court reiterated the well-settled principles for quashing an FIR and charge sheet under Section 482 CrPC, emphasizing that this power is exercised to prevent abuse of the process of law and court. The Court referred to several precedents, including Nagawwa v. Veeranna Shivalingappa Konjalgi, State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, and Pepsi Foods Ltd. v. Special Judicial Magistrate, which outline circumstances under which quashing is appropriate, such as when the allegations do not disclose any offense or are inherently improbable. In the present case, the Court concluded that the FIR and charge sheet did not disclose any offense under Section 498A IPC. The allegations were found to be insufficient to constitute "cruelty" as defined under the section. Consequently, the Court held that the High Court erred in rejecting the appellant's petition for quashing the FIR and charge sheet. Conclusion: The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, quashing the proceedings initiated against the appellant under Section 498A IPC, and emphasized the necessity of proper scrutiny of allegations before proceeding with criminal charges.
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