As per case facts... Appellants, trustees, entered into property sale agreements with the second respondent and his brother. A civil suit for specific performance was initiated. Subsequently, the brother sought ... to withdraw the suit, claiming repayment. The second respondent then filed a criminal complaint alleging fraud and conspiracy. Later, the second respondent himself withdrew the civil suit, acknowledging an out-of-court settlement and disclaiming all rights to the properties. The appellants' subsequent attempt to quash the criminal complaint was dismissed by the High Court, citing procedural bars and an inability to review previous orders. The question arose whether the ongoing criminal proceedings constituted an abuse of the process of law, given that the complainant had, by his own admission, settled the civil dispute out of court and relinquished all claims over the properties. Finally, the Supreme Court concluded that the High Court's dismissal was erroneous. It emphasized that the complainant's voluntary withdrawal of the civil suit, explicitly stating no further claim due to an out-of-court settlement, fundamentally altered the basis of the criminal complaint. Allowing the criminal proceedings to continue despite the clear settlement and relinquishment of claims in the civil dispute would undoubtedly be an abuse of the legal process. Consequently, the Supreme Court quashed the criminal complaint, affirming that a complaint based on a dispute already settled by the complainant himself should not proceed.