India, Nov. 2 -- The Supreme Court has cautioned courts against quashing criminal cases involving serious offences, particularly rape, merely because the accused and complainant have reached a settlement, observing that a trial could be the best way to establish whether a complaint was false and motivated by the prospect of a financial settlement or whether the compromise was secured through coercion.

The court underlined that settlements in such cases could be driven by pressure from the accused, while also flagging the possibility of false accusations being raised in the hope of extracting money through a subsequent compromise. It said both possibilities needed careful examination rather than the automatic termination of criminal proce...