[Criminal Appeal No. 1833 of 2013 arising out of S.L.P. (CRL.) No.4221 of 2012]. This Appeal assails the Order of the High Court of Judicature at Madras while exercising its Criminal Revisional Jurisdiction. The facts disclose a human tragedy. Ramachandra Reddy was married to Sujatha on 2.5.1999. At the initial stages of their marriage the deceased couple was staying with the bride's relatives, significantly, not with her parents-in-law who are the remaining accused. They had set up their own separate residence about six months prior to the unfortunate incidents. On 26.3.2006 Sujatha was found murdered in the hotel room in Pondicherry [now Puducherry] rented by her soon to be deceased husband. Her body bore several stab wounds. Thereupon, Crime No.86/2006 under Section 302 IPC dated 26.3.2006, leading to Charge Sheet No.59/2007 dated 31.5.2007 under Sections 302, 498-A read with 34, IPC was registered. It then transpires that the husband of the deceased, namely, Ramachandra Reddy, possibly suffering from guilt and remorse, committed suicide shortly thereafter. The question before us is whether the criminal proceedings could or should have been continued against his parents, namely Vidyasagar and Narasamma, who had preferred a Discharge Petition under Section 227 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ('Cr.PC' henceforward) in which they eventually succeeded.
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