Woman accused of theft fails to get relief from HC

New Delhi: Delhi High Court recently refused to quash an FIR registered against a woman accused of taking Rs 25 lakh and various expensive items, including an Audi car and watches from a man she was in a relationship with.
The single-judge bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, observing that the allegations in the present case were not identical to the ones in a previous case filed by the man against the woman, clarified that an FIR was lodged to verify allegations and doesn't mean that the accused is guilty of the offence.
"The registration of the FIR is a mechanism for verification of allegations and averments made in the complaint and does not prima facie prove the guilt of the petitioners. It is still open to the investigating officer to investigate the alleged crimes and submit a report. In case, the investigating officer finds that there is no merit in the allegations or that the allegations have been examined in an earlier FIR and found to be baseless, there is nothing which prevents him from submitting the final report," the court said.
The court said the second FIR had additional accusations, dates and transactions and so it could not be quashed. It was hearing a petition filed by the woman to quash the FIR lodged against her on the basis of a complaint filed by her ex-partner in 2022 under IPC sections 379 (theft), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating). Advocate Kshitij Mathur appeared for Shahnawaz Khan who alleged that the woman, while in a relationship with him, stole three luxury watches, five pairs of branded eyeglasses, and his Audi A6. The woman said the FIR was filed for countering a rape case she had filed against Khan. TNN