Rape Case Can Be Quashed Based on Settlement Between Parties in Exceptional Circumstances: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court today reiterated that offences under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), dealing with rape, are of a serious and heinous nature. Ordinarily, the Court cautions against quashing criminal proceedings related to such offences merely on the basis of a settlement between the parties. However, the Court emphasized that the power vested under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to quash proceedings in the…