Lucknow: In a significant ruling, the Allahabad High Court has quashed an FIR lodged against Ankit Singh under several serious sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 376 (rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without consent), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation). The FIR, registered in February 2024, was filed by Anshika Yadav at Gauri Bazar Police Station, Deoria district.
The court’s decision followed a successful mediation process, during which both parties reached a mutual settlement. According to the terms of the settlement, Ankit Singh agreed to pay Rs. 25,00,000 to Anshika Yadav, with a portion of the payment handed over in June 2024, and the remainder submitted during the court hearing.
The dispute originated from a long-standing relationship between the petitioner and the informant, which included consensual physical relations over a period of five years. The court noted that the informant became pregnant twice during this period, with both pregnancies being terminated. Importantly, the FIR was filed long after these events occurred, in February 2024.
On March 20, 2024, the case was referred to mediation, where the parties agreed to a financial settlement. The petitioner handed over Rs. 12,50,000 in June, with the remaining amount of Rs. 12,50,000 paid in court on July 4, 2024.
The agreement included a clause that neither party would pursue further legal action against the other in connection with the dispute, and any existing civil or criminal cases would be withdrawn.
The bench, comprising Hon’ble Justice Vivek Kumar Birla and Hon’ble Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal, reviewed the nature of the charges and noted that the relationship between the parties was consensual. The FIR did not include allegations of forceful conduct or coercion, particularly with regard to the charges under sections 376 and 313 IPC. In light of the settlement and the informant’s full understanding of the legal implications, the court found that the charges were not sustainable.
The court referred to several previous Supreme Court rulings that support the quashing of criminal proceedings where disputes are settled amicably, including landmark cases like B.S. Joshi vs. State of Haryana and Gian Singh vs. State of Punjab.
With the settlement between Ankit Singh and Anshika Yadav in place, the Allahabad High Court concluded that no further legal proceedings were necessary and officially quashed the FIR.
