Quashing of criminal proceedings after repurchase of surety property made further prosecution futile

Inherent powers were used to quash an FIR, challan and later criminal proceedings where the property earlier sold and forming the basis of the surety bonds had been repurchased by the petitioner's husband. The repurchase restored ownership to the surety provider, and the Court treated further prosecution as serving no useful purpose. The proceedings were therefore quashed in full.

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Issues: Whether the FIR and all subsequent criminal proceedings were liable to be quashed under the inherent powers of the High Court in view of the subsequent repurchase of the property by the husband of the petitioner.

Analysis: The petition was founded on the circumstance that the property, which had earlier been sold and formed the basis of the surety bonds, had been repurchased by the husband of the petitioner. In these circumstances, the property stood again in the ownership of the person who had furnished the surety, and the Court found that continuing the criminal proceedings against the petitioner would not serve any useful purpose.

Conclusion: The petition was allowed and the FIR, the challan, and all subsequent proceedings were quashed.

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