Inside Court No. 3, the atmosphere was calm but attentive as the Supreme Court finally put a full stop to a criminal case that had been dragging on since 2013. The bench, while dictating its order, made it clear that this was not just about technicalities, but about basic fairness. In a significant relief to the accused, the Supreme Court of India quashed the entire robbery prosecution arising from a long-running land dispute in Uttar Pradesh.
Background
The appeals stemmed from a January 6, 2016 order of the Allahabad High Court, which had refused to quash a complaint under Section 392 of the Indian Penal Code-robbery-registered at Gunnor police station. The main accused, Rajesh, along with co-accused Dalchandra and Rajnesh, had approached the High Court invoking its inherent powers to stop the criminal proceedings.
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The High Court, however, declined to interfere. It held that the Gunnor police station clearly fell within the jurisdiction of the Badaun judgeship and that no government notification excluded it. Jurisdiction settled, the criminal trial was allowed to continue. That refusal brought the accused knocking at the doors of the Supreme Court.
Court’s Observations
The Supreme Court took a noticeably different approach. For Rajesh, the bench focused on something very practical. On the date of the alleged robbery, he was appearing for a B.Tech Biotechnology examination. The exam timing-9:30 am to 11:30 am-left no room for doubt.
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“The exam, scheduled from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, entirely excludes the possibility of his presence at the scene of the incident,” the bench observed, noting that documentary proof was already on record. On this ground alone, the case against Rajesh could not survive.
As for the other two accused, the judges looked at the root of the conflict. The complaint, the court noted, had grown out of a property dispute, where the complainant was alleged to have encroached upon a portion of the accused persons’ land. That civil dispute was already pending before a competent court.
“The alleged altercation had stemmed from the original property dispute and had no foundation of its own,” the bench remarked, suggesting that the criminal case was more of an offshoot than an independent offence.
The court also did not ignore the calendar. Thirteen years had passed since the incident. “Much water has flown since then,” the judges said, adding that continuing such proceedings would serve no real purpose.
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Decision
Taking all factors together-the exam alibi, the civil nature of the underlying dispute, and the long passage of time-the Supreme Court quashed the entire complaint case against all accused. The appeals were allowed, and all pending applications were disposed of accordingly.
Case Title: Rajesh vs The State of Uttar Pradesh & Others
Case No.: Criminal Appeal arising out of SLP (Criminal) No. 1454 of 2016 and SLP (Criminal) No. 6418 of 2016
Case Type: Criminal Appeal (Quashing of Complaint under Section 392 IPC)
Decision Date: 12 December 2025
