RAM LAL vs STATE OF J & K

The Supreme Court held that the offence under Section 326 IPC is non-compoundable as per Section 320 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and thus cannot be compounded even with court permission. The court distinguished previous cases allowing compounding, stating they were rendered per incuriam due to lack of attention to the legal prohibition. However, considering the settlement between parties and the first appellant's six months of imprisonment, the sentence was reduced to the time already served. The second appellant's conviction under Section 324 IPC was set aside as the offence was compounded with the victim's representatives' consent.