IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION No. 3294 of 2011 For Approval and Signature:
HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH
========================================================= 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ?
2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ?
3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ?
4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ?
5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ?
========================================================= ESHAN AHMED SHEIKH - Applicant(s) Versus STATE OF GUJARAT & 1 - Respondent(s) ========================================================= Appearance :
MR MEHUL SHARAD SHAH for Applicant(s) : 1, MR LB DABHI ADDL.PUBLIC PROSECUTOR for Respondent(s) : 1, MR JAYESH A DAVE for Respondent(s) : 2, =========================================================
CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH
Date : 25/01/2012
ORAL JUDGMENT
1.00. Present petition under section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been preferred by the petitioner - original accused to quash and set aside the impugned judgement and order dtd.17/9/2010 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and Fast Track Court, Bhuj-Kutch in Criminal Revision Application No. 17 of 2010 and consequently to restore the order dtd.1/2/2010 passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Bhuj in Criminal Inquiry No. 90 of 2009. It is further prayed to quash and set aside the complaint registered as Criminal Inquiry No. 90 of 2009, filed by the respondent No.2 – original complainant, pending in the court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bhuj-Kutch.
2.00. The respondent No.2 herein – original complainant has filed a private complaint under section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against the petitioner herein - original accused in the court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bhuj- Kutch for the offences punishable under sections 415 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code which has been registered as Criminal Inquiry No. 90 of 2009. That the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate passed an order for inquiry under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. That thereafter, after holding Court Inquiry under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the learned Magistrate dismissed the said complaint under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure by holding that the dispute is of a civil nature and it is not established that the intention of the accused was to cheat and/or to deceive the complainant from the beginning i.e. at the time of execution of the Agreement-to-sell – Banakhat. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the order passed by the learned Magistrate dismissing the said complaint, respondent No.2 – original complainant filed Criminal Revision Application No.17 of 2010 before the learned Sessions Court under sections 397 / 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the learned Revisional Court, by the impugned judgement and order, has allowed the said Revision Application and has quashed and set aside the order passed by learned Magistrate dismissing the complaint and has directed to issue process against the petitioner - original accused. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the judgement and order 17/9/2010 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and Fast Track Court, Bhuj-Kutch in Criminal Revision Application No. 17 of 2010 directing to issue process against the petitioners for the offence punishable under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, petitioner herein – original accused has preferred the present petition.
3.00. Mr.Mehul Sharad Shah, learned advocate appearing on behalf of the petitioner - original accused has vehemently submitted that the learned revisional court has materially erred in allowing the Revision Application and quashing and setting aside the order passed by the learned Magistrate dismissing the complaint in exercise of the powers under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It is submitted that as such, the Revision Application would be under section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and while exercising powers under section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure the revisional court has no jurisdiction to direct to issue process. It is submitted that at the most the revisional court can quash and set aside the order passed by the learned Sessions Court and remand the matter to the learned Magistrate for passing appropriate order afresh and/or make further inquiry into the complaint which has been dismissed under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Therefore, it is requested to remand the matter to the learned Sessions Court for passing appropriate order afresh in the revision application in accordance with law and on merits and considering section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure when he does not press the prayer of the petitioner to quash and set aside the impugned criminal proceedings being Criminal Inquiry No. 90 of 2009.
4.00. Mr.Jayesh Dave, learned advocate has appeared on behalf of the respondent No.2 – original complainant. He is not in a position to satisfy this court as to how, while exercising powers under section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Sessions Court / revisional court can straightway direct to issue process against the accused. Therefore, he has requested to pass appropriate order.
5.00. Mr.L.B. Dabhi, learned Additional Public Prosecutor has requested to pass appropriate order in the facts and circumstances of the case.
6.00. Heard the learned advocates appearing on behalf of the respective parties at length.
6.01. At the outset, it is required to be noted that the learned Magistrate dismissed the complaint filed by the respondent No.2 – original complainant in exercise of powers under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Against the order passed by the learned Magistrate dismissing the complaint, the respondent No.2 – original complainant preferred Revision Application and in the said Revision Application the learned revisional court has directed to issue process against the petitioner for the offence under section 420 of Indian Penal Code by quashing and setting aside the order passed by the learned Magistrate dismissing the complaint under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Considering the provisions of sections 397 and 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the learned revisional court could not have straightway directed to issue process against the accused and at the most he could have remanded the matter to the learned Magistrate directing him to pass appropriate further order and/or make further inquiry and thereafter pass appropriate order in light of the observations made by the revisional court. However, straightway the revisional court cannot direct to issue process against the accused. Under the circumstances, only to that extent the order passed by the learned revisional court deserves to be quashed and set aside and the matter is to be remanded to the learned revisional court for passing appropriate order afresh in accordance with law and on merits considering provisions of section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure so that with the observations made by him, he may remand the matter to the learned Magistrate either for passing a further order and/or for passing further inquiry in accordance with law and on merits and in light of the observations made by the revisional court. However, while deciding the Revision Application, he is not required to hear the accused, as considering the proviso to section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure only in a case where an accused has been discharged and order for inquiry is made by quashing and setting aside the order of discharge, then and then only, before passing any order for inquiry such person who is discharged is required to be heard.
7.00. In view of the above and for the reasons stated above, and without further observing anything in favour of either of the parties, present petition is allowed in part and the impugned judgement and order dtd.17/9/2010 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge and Fast Track Court, Bhuj- Kutch in Criminal Revision Application No. 17 of 2010 is hereby quashed and set aside so far as directing to issue process against the petitioner herein – original accused for the offence under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and the matter is remanded to the learned Additional Sessions Judge for passing appropriate order considering provisions of section 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and for remanding the matter to the learned Magistrate either for passing appropriate order afresh and/or for further inquiry in light of the observations made by the him while passing the impugned judgement and order dtd.17/9/2010 in Criminal Revision Application No. 17 of 2010 and considering the observations made hereinabove. The aforesaid exercise shall be completed within a period of THREE MONTHS from the date of receipt of the writ of this order. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent.
[M.R. SHAH, J.] rafik