# Criminal Prosecution Cannot Be Halted Solely Due To Pendency Of Civil Dispute: 

Allahabad High Court The Allahabad High Court has reiterated that criminal proceedings cannot be quashed merely because the dispute between the parties also involves civil aspects. The Court emphasized that when allegations disclosed in the FIR and charge sheet prima facie constitute cognizable criminal offences, the existence of a parallel civil dispute is not sufficient to terminate criminal prosecution. The observation was made while considering a petition seeking quashing of criminal proceedings under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The petitioner argued that the matter was essentially civil in nature and that criminal prosecution had been initiated to exert pressure in a private dispute. Rejecting the contention, the Court noted that the allegations contained in the FIR clearly disclosed the commission of cognizable offences. It observed that the mere presence of a civil remedy or civil litigation between the parties does not automatically extinguish criminal liability if the facts also reveal elements of a criminal offence. The Court clarified that civil and criminal remedies may coexist when the same set of facts gives rise to both civil consequences and criminal wrongdoing. Therefore, criminal proceedings cannot be quashed solely on the ground that a civil dispute is pending or available between the parties. Reaffirming settled legal principles, the Court held that the inherent powers of the High Court under Section 482 CrPC must be exercised sparingly and only in exceptional circumstances. Where the allegations, if accepted at face value, disclose the ingredients of a criminal offence, the criminal process should ordinarily be allowed to continue. Accordingly, the Court declined to interfere with the charge sheet and related criminal proceedings, holding that the matter should proceed in accordance with law before the competent trial court. The ruling reinforces the principle that criminal law cannot be bypassed merely because the dispute also involves contractual, financial, property-related, or other civil claims. Where criminal intent or unlawful conduct is prima facie established, criminal prosecution remains maintainable notwithstanding the existence of parallel civil proceedings.