Delhi High Court issues directions to ensure quick disposal of compromise based quashing petitions

The Delhi High Court has announced that petitions seeking quashing of First Information Reports (FIR) on the basis of compromise would now be first listed before Joint Registrar (Judicial) for verification. .In a bid to save time, the Court has directed the Joint Registrar to pre-vet such quashing petitions in criminal cases where parties have reached a compromise.Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru passed practice directions in this regard on the recommendations of a CommitteeAccording to the new procedure, all non-contentious compromise-based quashing petitions in criminal cases will be preliminary listed before Joint Registrar (Judicial) who will verify and ensure compliance with Supreme Court-issued guidelines for such matters..Joint Registrar will verify the parties' identity through online modes like Aadhaar-linked verification systems. The officer will also ensure that the parties' consent for compromise is genuine and not obtained under undue influence or pressure.The Investigating Officer may also be directed to appear before the Joint Registrar (JR) virtually for verification of identity of the parties, the directions stated.With regard to the mode of hearing, the Court has directed that the matters will be heard virtually through secured video conferencing platforms to avoid delays caused by logistical issues like personal appearance and adjournments..Once all the conditions of quashing FIR have been met, the JR is to forward the matter to the Court for final pronouncement. The Court can then either quash or dismiss the FIR based on the pre-verified report sent by JR. “This process would significantly reduce the time of this court otherwise, required by each Hon’bIe Bench to scrutinize these compromise matters,” the High Court reasoned. .In this regard, the Court also suggested that a ‘Consent Calendar' be introduced to batch together all such compromise matters on designated days for review of the pre-vetted petitions by the Court.In cases where no judicial intervention is necessary, the Courts can pronounce the orders en-masse. This approach would significantly reduce the need for full oral hearings and thus preserve the precious judicial time, the Court stated. The rest of the matters will be listed for hearing."In cases where contentious issues arise or where the compromise does not fall strictly within the parameters laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Joint Registrar can red-flag such matters and place them before the Hon’ble Bench for suitable orders. Thus, matters where contentious issues arise, may be listed for full hearing, thereby saving precious judicial time which can be spent on matters necessitating the application of judicial mind," the directions read. .[Read notification]