APHC010266032026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI FRIDAY, THE 7th DAY OF AUGUST 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE MAHESWARA RAO KUNCHEAM CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4222 OF 2026 Between: 1. Gutta Siva Kumar, S/o. G. Venkata RamanaAge 35 years, Occ Pvt. Employee,23-11, Astar Pharmacy Building2 Floor, Vinayaka Nagar, Kailash Nagar,Ramachandrapuram, Hyderabad, -502032, Telangana. 2. Gutta Venkata Ramana, , S/o. late G. VeeraiahAge 65 years, Occ Re.td. Employee,R/o.D.No 23-11, Astar Pharmacy Building2 Floor, Vinayaka Nagar, Kailash Nagar, Ramachandrapuram, Hyderabad, -502032, Telangana. 3. Gutta Damayanthi, , W/o. G. Venkata RamanaAge 55 years, Occ House Wife,Fo. D. No 23-11, Astar Pharmacy Building.2 Floor, Vinayaka Nagar, Kailash Nagar,Ramachandrapuram, Hyderabad, -502032, Telangana. ...Petitioners 2 AND 1. The State of Andhra Pradesh, ,Rep. by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh at AmaravathiGuntur, Guntur District. 2. Kankamedala Sravani, , D/o.K. Ravi KumarAge 30 years, Occ Pvt. Employee,R/o.D.No13-126, 1First Floor, Maruthi Nagar,Pala Vaari Veedhi, Prasadampadu,KRISHNA, NTR District, Andhra Pradesh. ...Respondents Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court pleased to call for the records in connection with the entire proceedings in DVC.No.172 of 2025, registered under section 12 of PWDV Act, 2005, on the File of the Court of the Hon'ble I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Vijayawada, and quash the same by allowing the above petition in respect of the petitioners/respondent No.1 to 3, and to pass 3 IA NO: 1 OF 2026 Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court may be pleased to, dispense with the filing of the certified copy of the DVC.No.172 of 2025. registered under section 12 of PWDV Act, 2005, on the File of the Court of the Hon’ble I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Vijayawada pending disposal of the above criminal petition, and to pass IA NO: 2 OF 2026 Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court may be pleased to Stay of all further proceedings including personal appearance of petitioners/Respondent DVC.No.172 of 2025 No.1 to 3 in registered under section 12 of PWDV Act, 2005, on the File of the Court of the Hon’ble I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Vijayawada, pending disposal of the above criminal petition, and to pass 4 Counsel for the Petitioners: MUMMANENI SRINIVASA RAO Counsel for the Respondents: NALLANAGULA LALITHA SREE Counsel for the Respondents: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 5 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE MAHESWARA RAO KUNCHEAM CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4222 of 2026 The Court made the following Order: Instant Criminal Petition, under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, has been filed on behalf of the petitioners herein, seeking to quash the proceedings in DVC No.172 of 2025 on the file of the Court of the learned I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Vijayawada, for the offence punishable under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing on behalf of respondent- State. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioners, after arguing for some time, has confined his argument to the extent of dispensing with the presence of the petitioners before the trial Court by submitting petitioners’ practical constraints in attending before the trial Court and states that petitioners shall not dispute his identity at a later stage of proceedings. 4. On the other hand, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor contended that specific accusations have been made as against 6 the petitioners herein and truth or otherwise of the said accusations has to be decided during the course of trial, hence, there are no grounds to quash the proceedings at this stage. So far as dispensing with the presence of the petitioners, before the trial Court, he has not opposed the same. 5. Since there are specific accusations that have been made as against the petitioners herein, which are all disputed questions of fact, the same can be decided during the course of trial, and this Court, in a petition filed under Section 528 of BNSS, 2023 corresponding to Section 482 Cr.P.C., would not be in a position to conduct roving enquiry into the disputed questions of fact and quash the proceedings at this stage. 6. In this context, it is apt to note the dictum held in State of Uttar Pradesh and Another Vs. Akhil Sharda and Others1, by the Apex Court in its vivid terms in the following way: 7. Having gone through the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court by which the High Court has set aside the criminal proceedings in exercise of powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C., it appears that the High Court has virtually conducted a mini trial, which as such is not permissible at this stage and while deciding the application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. As observed and held by this Court in a catena of 12022 LiveLaw (SC) 594 7 decisions no mini trial can be conducted by the High Court in exercise of powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C., jurisdiction and at the stage of deciding the application under Section 482 Cr.P.C., the High Court cannot get into appreciation of evidence of the particular case being considered. 7. In Vishal Shah Vs. Monalisha Gupta & Ors.2, Hon’ble Apex Court has observed that there is no requirement for the personal appearance of any party in the proceedings under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, because they are quasi-criminal in nature and do not entail any penal consequences, except when there is a breach of a protection order, which is the only offence provided under Section 31 of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005. 8. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, this Court is not inclined to quash the proceedings against the petitioners herein. However, due to ground realities submitted by the counsel for the petitioners, presence of petitioners herein before the learned I Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Vijayawada in DVC.No.172 of 2025 is hereby dispensed with, except on those dates when the learned trial Court feels that their presence is necessary. In the event of failure of the petitioners to 2 2025 Live Law (SC) 240 8 appear, when the trial Court specifically directs, this Order shall stands automatically revoked, without recourse to this Court. 9. Accordingly, the Criminal Petition is disposed of. 10. Needless to state that the petitioners are at liberty to raise all the grounds before the trial Court. Interlocutory applications, if any, pending shall stand closed. ____________________________________ JUSTICE MAHESWARA RAO KUNCHEAM Date: 07.08.2026 PSA 9 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE MAHESWARA RAO KUNCHEAM CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4222 of 2026 Date: 07.08.2026 PSA