In a brief but significant order, the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against ICICI Lombard Insurance Company official Sumit Tandan after the complainant, Aslam Ali, informed the court that he had voluntarily settled the matter. The order, passed by Justice Alok Kumar Verma on 10 October 2025, effectively brought an end to the criminal case pending before the Dehradun court under charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Background
The dispute arose from Complaint Case No. 1178 of 2023, titled "Aslam Ali vs ICICI Lombard Insurance Company Ltd. and Others" which was being heard before the Ist Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dehradun.
In the complaint, the accused including Tandan were charged under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
However, before the case could proceed further, the applicant approached the High Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 a provision allowing the transfer or quashing of criminal cases in certain situations to seek relief.
According to counsel for the applicant, Mr. Ramji Shrivastava, the continuation of the criminal proceedings would serve no purpose since both parties had resolved the matter amicably outside court.
Court's Observations
During the hearing, Justice Verma heard arguments from both sides. Mr. Avidit Noliyal, representing the complainant, submitted that his client had compounded the offences voluntarily, without any coercion or undue influence. He further conveyed to the bench that Aslam Ali wished to withdraw all allegations and requested the court to quash the entire proceedings pending in the lower court.
Taking note of these submissions, the court acknowledged the settlement and remarked that once an offence has been compounded freely by the complainant, "no useful purpose will be served by continuing the trial."
As the bench observed,
"The respondent-complainant has compounded the said offences with his free will and without any pressure."
Such compounding, the court implied, reflected the mutual understanding and willingness of both parties to move forward, leaving behind their earlier dispute.
Decision
Following the acknowledgment of the settlement, Justice Verma ordered that the entire proceedings in Complaint Case No. 1178 of 2023 be quashed. With this, the charges against the applicant and other accused stand nullified, effectively closing the chapter on what had become a prolonged legal tussle in Dehradun’s lower court.
The short but decisive order ended with the court's signature and timestamp:
"The entire proceedings of Complaint Case No.1178 of 2023, pending before the Court of Ist Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dehradun, are quashed."
The case, now officially settled, underscores how amicable resolution and voluntary compromise can sometimes achieve what years of litigation cannot a quiet end to an otherwise contentious dispute.
Case Title: Sumit Tandan vs Aslam Ali
Case Number: Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 912 of 2025
Date of Judgment: 10th October, 2025
Counsel for the Parties
- For the Applicant: Mr. Ramji Shrivastava, Advocate
- For the Respondent: Mr. Avidit Noliyal, Advocate