Yes — and this is one of the most powerful and frequently exercised protective remedies in Bihar's criminal justice system. The Patna High Court holds inherent powers under Section 528 of the BNSS (the old Section 482 CrPC) to quash an FIR, a chargesheet, or any criminal proceedings to prevent the abuse of the process of any court and to secure the ends of justice. This power is used actively and has been the subject of many significant Patna High Court orders in 2025 and 2026.

The doctrinal foundation comes from the Supreme Court's decision in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, which the Patna High Court applies in every quashing petition. The recognised categories where quashing is appropriate include: where the allegations in the FIR, even if accepted as entirely true, do not disclose any offence known to law; where the allegations are so inherently improbable and absurd that no reasonable person could conclude there is ground to proceed; where there is a clear legal bar to the prosecution; and — the most frequently invoked ground in Patna's courts — where the FIR is manifestly actuated by malice and has been registered with the sole object of harassing the accused in a private or civil dispute. The Patna High Court has confirmed that an FIR built on inadmissible evidence or conjecture will be quashed and that the prosecution's process cannot be converted into an instrument of oppression.

There is also a settlement-based route for predominantly private disputes. Under Gian Singh v. State of Punjab, the Patna High Court can quash proceedings in private matters — matrimonial disputes, commercial quarrels, property conflicts — where the parties have genuinely settled, even for non-compoundable offences, if allowing the prosecution to continue would serve no public purpose. The petition is filed at the Patna High Court, notice goes to the State and the complainant, and the court may grant interim protection from arrest while it hears the matter. A candid assessment from the criminal lawyers and retired judges at the Patna panel of Aapka Legal Advice will tell you whether your FIR is a strong quashing case or one better defended at trial. The Patna High Court's quashing jurisdiction is a real and effective safeguard — but it requires a well-framed petition built on the right facts.