Quashing of FIR and Criminal Proceedings – Petition filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. for quashing FIR lodged at Crime No.999 of 2018 under Sections 498A, 323, 506, 34, 325, and 313 of IPC after mutual divorce settlement – Involves matrimonial dispute between petitioners and respondent no. 2, leading to various legal proceedings and eventual mutual divorce [Paras 2, 4-5].

Matrimonial Dispute and Legal Proceedings – Marriage of petitioner no. 1 and respondent no. 2 led to disputes and numerous cases, including divorce petitions, maintenance claims, domestic violence allegations, and eventual mutual divorce decree [Para 4].

Agreement and Settlement in Mutual Divorce – As per divorce settlement, respondent no. 2 agreed to withdraw all cases post receiving Rs. 50 lakhs, but did not withdraw the present case, leading to this petition [Paras 5, 12-13].

Allegation of Illegal Abortion – Charges under Section 313 of IPC for alleged illegal abortion, based on Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) report from Bombay Hospital, challenged as being falsely implicated [Paras 6-7, 14-15].

Abuse of Legal Process – Allegations of misuse of the legal process by respondent no. 2, holding the case as a tool of harassment against petitioners [Paras 16, 18, 20].

Court's Observation – Court noted misuse of the legal process, no substantiation for Section 313 IPC charge, and deliberate non-withdrawal of the case by respondent no. 2 despite mutual divorce settlement [Paras 14-16, 19-20].

Decision – Court allowed both petitions, quashed FIR, and subsequent criminal proceedings; imposed costs of Rs. 1 lakh on respondent no. 2 for misuse of court's process, to be paid to petitioner no. 1 [Paras 20-21

Summoning - Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Section 28 - Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Sections 468, 469 - Offence punishable under - Maximum punishment - Imposition of sentence - Scope of - Whether, in a case where an offence is punishable under Section 28 of the Drugs Act with a maximum imprisonment for a term of one year, the Court can take cognizance of the offence beyond the period of limitation prescribed under Section 468 of the Cr.P.C. - Held, no - Once the report of the Government Analyst was received by the respondent, the complaint filed after the expiry of the period of limitation was clearly barred by limitation - Summoning order passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Sirsa against the petitioner was beyond jurisdiction - Criminal proceedings rendered unsustainable . (para 9, 10)

Amendment of complaint - Maintaining a criminal complaint against a company without impleading its authorized representative - Whether permissible - Held, maintaining criminal proceedings against the company only, when sentence of imprisonment cannot be imposed on the juristic person, is an exercise in futility - Application seeking impleadment through amendment doubted for its maintainability. (para 11)

Limitation - Commencement of the period of limitation - Report of the Laboratory - Whether the limitation for filing a complaint commences from the date of receipt of the report of the Central Insecticide Testing Laboratory or from the date of the report received from the competent authority – Held - the limitation commences from the date of the offence alleged to have been committed - The report received from the competent authority cannot be the basis for the commencement of limitation. (para 8)

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Sections 468, 469 - Offences under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 - Limitation for taking cognizance of offence - Whether the period of limitation should be computed from the date of the offence or from the date of receipt of the report or from the date of knowledge of the commission of offence – Held - the period of limitation should be computed from the date of the offence alleged to have been committed - The date of receipt of the report or the date of knowledge of the commission of offence are relevant only when the date of the offence is not known to the person aggrieved or the police officer. (para 8)