Meghalaya High Court quashes assault FIR after family settles dispute
Meghalaya High Court quashed an assault case after a family settlement between the accused and the complainants. The order noted the simple injury, close relationship and shared decision to end the dispute.
Meghalaya High Court 
- Jun 19, 2026,
- Updated Jun 19, 2026, 8:21 AM IST
- Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere passed the order on June 17
- The complaint said a screwdriver attack caused a lacerated right-hand injury
- Police booked the accused under BNS Section 118(1) at Sadar station
The Meghalaya High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against a man accused of assaulting his father-in-law with a screwdriver, after the two sides reached a settlement and told the court they no longer wished to pursue the case.
Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere passed the order on June 17, allowing a petition filed jointly by Ulrich Jordan Mawlong, the original accused, Dondor Jarain, who had lodged the FIR, and George Jarain, the injured party. The three are related — Mawlong is Jarain's son-in-law, while the complainant is Jarain's brother.
The case stemmed from an incident on January 24, 2024, when a quarrel broke out at the family's residence. According to the complaint, Mawlong assaulted his father-in-law with a screwdriver during the altercation, leaving him with a lacerated wound on the right hand. Police had registered an FIR at Sadar Police Station under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means. The case was pending before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Shillong as G.R. Case No. 33(A) of 2026.
By the time the matter reached the High Court, the family had patched things up. All three parties signed a Deed of Settlement, and the complainant and the injured man appeared before the court via video conference to confirm they were on board with quashing the case. Both "reiterated their consent to quash the proceeding" and stood by what they had agreed to in the settlement deed.
The court noted that the injury was a simple one and weighed this alongside the family ties between the parties and their amicable resolution. "Considering the nature of dispute, the relationship between the parties and the amicable settlement between them, there is no impediment in allowing the petition," the Chief Justice observed.
With that, the court ordered that the FIR and the proceeding pending before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Shillong, stand quashed and set aside, bringing the matter to a close.
