Supreme Court Rules High Courts CAN Quash DV Act Proceedings Under Section 482 CrPC
The Supreme Court held that High Courts possess inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 CrPC (or Section 528 BNSS) to quash proceedings initiated under Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, as these applications are filed before Criminal Courts (Magistrates). However, such power must be exercised sparingly and only in cases of gross illegality or abuse of process, considering the civil nature of DV Act remedies and its objective as social welfare legislation. The Court clarified that proceedings under the DV Act, though heard by Criminal Courts, remain predominantly civil in character.
Facts Of The Case:
Vidhi Rawal (Respondent) married Prateek Tripathi on December 12, 2019, in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. After two years, on December 8, 2021, she complained to Dewas police against Pr...