1 The present applicant is one of the accused in the offence registered at CR No. I-53 of 2001 with the Jambusar Police Station for the offences under Section 306 read with Section 498(A) and 114 of the Indian Penal Code. By the present application, the accused has prayed to quash the said FIR in exercise of powers under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
2 Brief facts of the present application are as under:
That the daughter of the complainant Samimbanu got married to one Saiyad Ahmad Husen prior to seven years from the date of filing of the complaint. The present applicant is brother-in- law of Samimbanu. By lodging the complaint on 25.6.2001, the father of the deceased Samimbanu alleged that sister-in-law, mother-in-law as well as the present applicant used to torture his daughter. Pursuant to the said cruelty, she poured kerosene on herself and tried to commit suicide. Several allegations were made against the husband, mother-in-law as well as the present applicant. Subsequently, she succumbed to the injuries and therefor all the accused were charged with the offences under Sections 498- A, 306 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code.
Against the two accused persons (except the present applicant/accused), the trial proceeded by learned Joint District Judge at Bharuch, in Sessions Case No. 133 of 2004. The prosecution examined nine witnesses and produced several documents to prove its case. The husband and mother-in-law of the deceased were acquitted by the Sessions Court by judgment and order dated 26.7.2005.
It is the case of the applicant that when the unfortunate incident took place, he was not present at home and had left Bombay for going to Saudi Arabia. It is the case of the applicant that he reached Saudi Arabia on 26.6.2001 while the FIR was lodged on 25.6.2011 at 21.20 hours. In support of his case, several documents are produced by the applicant.
It is the case of the applicant that the close relatives of deceased, who were examined as witnesses by the prosecution did not support the case of the prosecution and they were declared hostile by the prosecution and, therefore, in absence of sufficient evidence the accused Nos. 1 and 2 were acquitted from the charges levelled against them by the Trial Court. Learned Advocate for the applicant has produced the judgment dated 25.7.2005 passed by the learned Presiding Officer and Fast Track Court No.6, Bharuch, in Sessions Case No.133 of 2004 acquitting the prime accused persons from the charges in which the present applicant is one of the accused. Learned Advocate for the applicant has also produced the depositions of the close relatives of the deceased to support his case.
3 Heard Mr. M.R. Yagnik for Nanavaty Advocates for the applicant, Mr. Himanshu K Patel, learned APP, for the respondent No. 1 – State and Mr. Kalpesh L. Nadia, learned Advocate for the complainant – respondent No.2. I have also perused the documents produced on record.
4 Mr. M.R. Yagnik, learned Advocate for the applicant submitted that there is no evidence to prove the alleged demand for dowry and there is also no evidence to show that the deceased was subjected to cruelty. He further submitted that it is well settled law that in a case where co-accused is discharged and the said order attains finality, the discharge of the rest of the accused, holding that no purpose would be served in further proceeding with the case against the co-accused, cannot be said to be illegal. According to him the trial court that there was no suspicion with regard to the cause of death of the deceased and the postmortem was not conducted. Even in the trial there was no evidence against the applicant. He therefore submitted that the present petition deserves to be allowed. Mr. Nanavati has relied upon a decision of the Apex Court in the case of Central Bureau of Investigation Vs. Akhilesh Singh, reported in 2004 AIR SCW 6791.
5 Mr. Himanshu K Patel, learned APP, submitted the case of the original accused Nos.1 and 2 were acquitted on different footing and the case of the applicant is required to be considered in trial. He therefore submitted that the present application may not be entertained and may kindly be dismissed.
6. On perusal of the record certain aspects are not in dispute. During the course of trial against the co-accused the prosecution examined nine witnesses and produced four documentary evidence with a view to prove the prosecution case. The close relatives who were examined as witnesses by the prosecution did not support the case of the prosecution and they were declared hostile by the prosecution and, therefore, in absence of sufficient evidence the prime accused Nos. 1 and 2, were acquitted from the charges levelled against them by the Trial Court. Prima facie it also appears that there is nothing to show that the deceased was subjected to cruelty. In the judgment of the trial court the learned Judge observed that there is no evidence to show that the deceased died in unnatural circumstances and that there was no suspicion with regard to the cause of the death of the deceased. Consequently no postmortem was performed. Considering all the above circumstances the accused Nos.1 and 2 have been acquitted. Looking to the overall facts and circumstances of the case it cannot be said that the case of the applicant is entirely different from that of the accused Nos.1 and 2 who have been acquitted by the Sessions Court. The said order has attained finality without there being any challenge to the said order. Further an Affidavit has been filed on behalf of the respondent No.2 who is the original complainant. He has stated in the affidavit that deceased was married to one Ahmad Husen Saiyad at Mumbai. Out of the said wedlock,the deceased has given birth to one daughter and one son. He has also stated in the affidavit that the marriage took place before 8 years and his deceased daughter was residing at her matrimonial house. He has further stated that after the marriage, the mental condition of his son-in-law was not good, however, the attitude and behaviour of other family members are good. He also stated in the affidavit that after filing of the complaint he came to know from the relatives as well as neighbours that all the family members treated his daughter well and there is no physical or mental torture meted out to my daughter or otherwise. He has further stated in the affidavit that due to the mental condition of the husband, his daughter has taken the extreme step of committing suicide.
7 It is pertinent to note that when complainant himself states that his daughter was not subjected to demand for dowry or that she had returned to his place on account of physical and/or mental torture or otherwise. In view of this clear cut statement made by the complainant in the affidavit, the complaint is not sustainable and under such circumstances if the FIR in question is allowed to be investigated further, it would be a travesty of justice.
8 It is a well settled law that in a case where the co- accused is discharged and the said order attains finality, the discharge of the rest of the accused, holding that no purpose would be served in further proceeding with the case against the co- accused, cannot be said to be illegal. Similar view is taken in the case of Central Bureau of Investigation (Supra). It is also required to be noted that in the case of Pavankuamr Bhalotia Vs. state of West Bengal, reported in AIR 2005 SC 1531 the Apex Court held that when there is no ground to proceed against the accused, the prosecution initiated would result in sheer harassment of the said accused.
9 In view of the affidavit in reply filed by respondent No.2 – complainant as well as, the findings of the Sessions Court and the consequent acquittal of the co-accused and all other attending circumstances, I am of the opinion that there is no ground to proceed against the present applicant.
10 In the premises aforesaid, the complaint being C.R. No.
I-53 of 2001 registered with Jambusar Police Station, District - Bharuch and the subsequent proceedings thereof are hereby quashed and set aside qua the present applicant. Rule is made absolute accordingly.
(A.J. DESAI, J.) pnnair