IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION No. 11229 of 2010 For Approval and Signature:
HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH Sd/ =========================================
========================================= NEELA MUNSHI SR.TOWN PLANNER & 16 Applicant(s) Versus KAMLESH NANDLAL THAKKAR DIRECTOR, M/S. THAKKAR CONSTRUCTIO & 1 Respondent(s) ========================================= Appearance :
MR HS MUNSHAW for Applicant(s) : 1 17. MR NANDLAL THAKKAR for Respondent(s) : 1, MR. DABHI, ADDL. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR for Respondent(s) : 2, ========================================= CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH Date : 24/01/2012 CAV JUDGMENT
1.0 Present Criminal Miscellaneous Application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been preferred by the applicants hereinoriginal accused officers of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority i.e. Senior Town Planner and others as well as publishers and other officers of the Divya Bhaskar News Paper to quash and set aside the impugned criminal proceedings being Criminal Case No.5708 of 2010 pending in the Court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural) initiated by respondent no.2 hereinoriginal complainant for the offences under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 34, 114 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code.
2.0 The respondent no.2 hereinoriginal complainant has filed one private complaint under Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against the applicantsoriginal accused and other officers of the AUDA as well as publishers and other officers of the Divya Bhaskar News Paper for the offences under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 34, 114 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code in the Court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural), which has been numbered as Criminal Case No.5708 of 2010. It is alleged in the said complaint that the officers of the AUDA have illegally and unauthorizedly and without following any due procedure as required, sealed the property of the complainant alleging that the construction put up by the complainant is illegal and said news of sealing the property for illegal construction by the complainant came to be published in the local newspaper “Divya Bhaskar” and therefore, it is alleged that by such illegal action of sealing the property illegally and publishing the said news in the newspaper it had affected the reputation of the complainant and therefore, it is alleged that accused persons have committed the offences under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 34, 114 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code. That in the said complaint initially learned Magistrate passed an order for inquiry by himself under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and thereafter after recording the statement of the complainant on oath, the learned Magistrate has passed an order directing to issue process against the applicant and others accused for the offences punishable under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the IPC. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the criminal proceedings as well as order passed by the learned Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural) directing to issue process against the applicants –original accused nos. 4.1 to 4.17 have preferred present Criminal Miscellaneous Application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
3.0 Shri Munshaw, learned advocate appearing on behalf of applicantsoriginal accused nos. 4.1 to 4.17 has vehemently submitted that as such applicants have not committed any offence as alleged for the offences under Section 499, 500 and 501 of IPC for which the learned Magistrate has directed to issue process against the applicants. It is further submitted by Shri Munshaw, learned advocate for the applicants that whatever was done by the applicants as officers of the AUDA was in accordance with the provision of Gujarat Town Planning Act and Rules. It is submitted that even the property in question was sealed after various notices to the complainant and others and after following due procedure as required. It is submitted that whatever was done by the applicants as a public servant and as part of their duties and therefore, the learned Magistrate could not have taken cognizance of the complaint / offence against the applicants without any prior sanction from the competent authority.
3.1. It is further submitted by Shri Munshaw, learned advocate for the applicants that the complainant put up the construction on the land in question without getting the plan sanctioned; without obtaining any development permission and not only put up the construction illegally but it was also reported that the said construction is put to use illegally for running Primary School and that too without obtaining any Building Use Permission and as it was found that if something happens to the students the officers of the AUDA will be blamed and therefore, after issuing the notice the property was sealed. It is submitted that therefore, it cannot be said that the applicants have committed any offence as alleged of defamation.
3.2. It is further submitted by Shri Munshaw, learned advocate for the applicants that as such nothing is on record that the petitioners informed the media person or that news of sealing the property was published in the newspaper at the instance of the petitioners. It is submitted that the media person might have come on their own and they have published the news of sealing the property on their own. Therefore, it is submitted that it cannot be said that the applicants have committed any offence as alleged of defamation.
3.3. It is further submitted that even on the bare reading of the allegations and averments in the complaint as well as statement of the complainant nothing is on record and / or it has not come out that the applicants sealed the property of the complainant with a view to harm the reputation of the complainant.
3.4. It is further submitted by Shri Munshaw, learned advocate for the applicants that impugned complaint filed by the complainant against the applicants and others for the offences punishable under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 34, 114 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code is vexatious and has been filed with a mala fide intention to pressurize the officers of the AUDA in the pending proceedings with respect to sanction of the plan etc and therefore, it is submitted that impugned complaint is nothing but abuse of process of law and Court and therefore, it requested to quash and set aside the impugned proceedings against the applicants original accused nos.
4.1 to 4.17 in exercise of powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
4.0. Application is opposed by Shri Nandlal Thakkar, learned advocate appearing on behalf of the original complainant. It is submitted by Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant that the learned Magistrate has directed to issue process against the applicants and others for the offences punishable under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the IPC after holding the necessary inquiry under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and after considering the material on record and having prima facie satisfied that the applicants and others accused persons have committed the offence of defamation and therefore, it is requested not to exercise the powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
4.1. It is submitted by Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant that the action of the applicants to seal the property of the complainant was absolutely illegal and unauthorized and without following any procedure as required and without any prior notice and news of sealing the property by the AUDA came to be published in the local newspaper which has harmed the reputation of the complainant and his company and therefore, a clear case of defamation has been made out against the accused persons. Relying upon some communication, more particularly, communication dated 12.4.1996, it is submitted that the plans were already submitted by the complainant however the same were not returned by the AUDA and the AUDA informed the complainant that after the payment of security deposit the development permission can be granted. Relying upon the said communication, it is submitted by Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant that therefore, the dispute was only with respect to security deposit for which there were various correspondences and the officers of the AUDA did not quantify the amount of security deposit and did not inform the complainant and thereby the complainant could not inform the State Bank of India with whom there was a contract with respect to the property in question and thereby the complainant could not get the development permission. Therefore, it is submitted that when the plans were already submitted by the complainant and the same were not returned and the development permission was not issued on the ground that security deposit / scrutiny fees have not been paid, for which, even writ petition was pending before this Court and therefore, the action of the applicants to seal the property was absolutely illegal and by such action it has affected / harmed the reputation of the complainant and his company and therefore, the case squarely falls within Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. It is submitted that by sealing the property of the complainant illegally and publishing the said news in local newspaper, it has harmed the reputation of the complainant and his company and therefore, the learned Magistrate has rightly directed to issue process against the applicants for the offences under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code.
4.2. It is further submitted by Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant that the construction put up by the complainant cannot be said to be per se illegal and at the most it can be said to be unauthorized construction which could have been regularized. Therefore, it is submitted that the construction which could have been regularized, the applicants could not have sealed the said property and ought to have issued the notice so that the complainant could have approached for regularization. Therefore, it is submitted that as the action of the applicants to seal the property of the complainant was absolutely illegal and the same was published in the local newspaper, which has harm the reputation of the complainant and his company and thereby a prima facie case is made out to defamation, it is requested to dismiss the present application.
4.3. Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant has submitted that even at the relevant time the area in which the property is situated had merged into the local limits of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and therefore, as held by this Court in Special Civil Application No.987 of 2010 AUDA was not authorized to take any action with respect to any unauthorized or illegal construction and therefore, also the action of the applicants to seal the property of the complainant absolutely illegal and without jurisdiction.
4.4. Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the complainant has relying upon the following decisions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in support of his prayer to dismiss the present application and not to exercise the powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and not to quash and set aside the impugned criminal proceedings at this stage.
(1). AIR 2001 SC 2037
(2). 1996 Cri.L.J 1127
(3). (1999) 3 SCC 259
(4). AIR 1981 SC 1514
(5). AIR 1971 SC 1389
(6). AIR 1965 SC 1451
(7). AIR 2001 SC 2037
(8). AIR 1990 SC 494
(9). Unreported decision of this Court in CR.MA. 8207 of 2001.
4.5. Relying upon the above decisions, it is submitted by Shri Thakkar, learned advocate for the original complainant that when there are specific averments and allegations in the complaint, making out a prima facie case of defamation, whether the act of the applicants was in good faith or not is required to be considered at the time of trial on leading the evidence and in such situation the complaint cannot be quashed in exercise of powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. By making above submissions and relying upon the above decisions, it is requested to dismiss the present application.
5.0 Shri Dabhi, learned APP has also on behalf of the State has requested to pass an appropriate order considering the facts and circumstance of the case.
6.0 Heard the learned advocates for the respective parties at length and considered the Record and Proceedings of the case, which has been called from the trial Court so as to satisfy the Court whether even any prima facie case has been made out against the applicants of defamation as alleged. This Court has also considered the averments and allegations in the complaint as well as statement of the complainant on oath which was recorded by the learned Magistrate while holding the inquiry under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It appears that the main allegation made by the complainant against the applicants and others is that the applicantsofficers of the AUDA acted illegally in sealing the property of the complainant and the same was published in the newspaper and thereby it has harmed the reputation of the complainant and therefore, it is alleged that applicants and others have committed the offence under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502, 34, 114 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code. On the other hand, it is the case on behalf of the applicantsofficers of the AUDA that whatever action they have taken, the same was in accordance with the provisions of Gujarat Town Planning Act after following due procedure as required and the property was sealed as the same was absolutely illegal and without getting the plan sanctioned and without obtaining the development permission and when it was found that even the property was put to use for running the primary school without obtaining Building Use Permission. It is also the case on behalf of the applicants that as whatever was done by them was as a public servant and as part of their statutory duties, the learned Magistrate could not have taken the cognizance of the offence against them without any prior sanction from the competent authority and ought not to have directed to issue process against the applicants and others for the offences under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code. Therefore, it is required to be considered whether the learned Magistrate is justified in directing to issue process against the applicants for the offence under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code and whether there was any material to issue process against the applicants and others for the offences under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code ?
6.1. Before considering the case on merits the relevant provision of the Indian Penal Code for which learned Magistrate has directed to issue process against the applicants is required to be considered.
Section 499: Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such persons, is said, except in the cases hereinafter excepted, to defame that person.
6.2. Section 500 prescribes punishment for the offence under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.
6.3. Considering Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it appears that in case where it has been found that any person by words either spoken or intended to be read or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such persons, it can be said that he has committed the offence of defamation as provided under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. Therefore, before making out a case for the offences under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code it has to be alleged that such an act as provided under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code is by the concerned person with an intend to harm or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of such person. Looking to the averments and allegations in the complaint and even in the statement on oath by the complainant, the main and only contention on behalf of the complainant is that the act of the applicantsofficers of the AUDA to seal the property of the complainant was illegal and without following any due procedure and by publishing the said news in the local newspaper “Divya Bhaskar” and thereby it has harmed the reputation of the complainant and therefore, it is alleged that the applicants have committed the offence under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. However, it is required to be noted and it has come on record that even there was no development permission in favour of the complainant as the dispute with respect to scrutiny fees etc. was already pending and even the plans were not returned to the complainant after the same are sanctioned by the appropriate authority. It has also come on record that there was no Building Use Permission in favour of the complainant and it was brought to the notice of the authority that despite the above, the property is put to use for running the primary school and it is the case of the applicants that the applicants sealed the property considering the fact that if anything happens in the building and children, the authority will be blamed and therefore, after issuing the notice and after following due procedure as required under the provision of the Gujarat Town Planning Act, the property was sealed. Therefore, it cannot be said that the action of the applicantsofficers of the AUDA to seal the property was per se illegal and / or the same was with an intend to harm the reputation of the complainant and his company. Even as per the submission on behalf of the complainant that the construction can be said to be unauthorized for which the regularization is permissible. Assuming that such an unauthorized construction was permitted to be regularized in such a case also unless and until such unauthorized construction is regularized it remains unauthorized construction. Under the circumstance, merely assuming that such construction could have regularized or not it cannot be said that when such unauthorized construction is put to use illegally, the authority cannot take action. As stated above, so long as the construction remain unauthorized and it is not regularized it remains to be unauthorized for which the action can be taken. In the present case as stated hereinabove, the plans were not even returned by the AUDA to the complainant after the same were sanctioned and there was no development permission and / or even building use permission with respect to the construction in question and the same was put to use for running the primary school without getting building use permission. Therefore, even prima facie it cannot be said that such an action sealing the property was illegal with a view to harm the reputation of the complainant.
6.4. Now, so far as the submission on behalf of the complainant that as the area in which the property was situated had merged into local limits of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and therefore, as per the decision of this Court the AUDA could not have been taken the action and therefore, action of the AUDA to seal the property was illegal is concerned, it is required to be noted that as such till this Court resolves the aforesaid dispute by order dated 15.7.2010 passed in Special Civil Application No.987 of 2010 there was a controversy that who would be the competent authority to take action for illegal construction in the area which was earlier with the AUDA but subsequently merged in the local limits of Corporation. At the outset, it is required to be noted that in the present application as such this Court is not required to consider whether the AUDA was authorized to take such an action or not. The question which is to be considered by this Court is whether such an act of the applicants being officers of the AUDA to seal the property was per se illegal and with an intend to harm the reputation of the complainant making out the case for the offences under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code or not ?
6.5. Even assuming for the sake of arguments that the act of the authority to seal the property was not in consonance with the provision of the Gujarat Town Planning Act in that case also by that itself cannot be making out a case of defamation under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code illegal act of any authority per se cannot be said to be committing the offence of defamation under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. Only in a case where, it is found that such an illegal act was with a intend to harm the reputation of the concerned persons and the same is published then and then only the prosecution for defamation is permissible.
6.6. It is required to be note that in the present case nothing is on record that news of sealing the property by the AUDA was published in the local newspaper “Divya Bhaskar” at the instance of the applicantsofficers of the AUDA and / or they called the media person at the time of sealing the property. Even there are no such allegations and averments in the complaint. Merely because same action is taken by the officers of the department which might have published by the media on their own it cannot be said that the department has got it published with an intend to harm the reputation of such a person making out a case of defamation under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.
6.7. Now, so far as the decisions relied upon by the learned advocate for the complainant as stated hereinabove are concerned, there cannot be any dispute with respect to the proposition of law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the aforesaid decisions. However, it is required to be considered by this Court whether even a prima facie case is not made out against the applicants for the offences under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, the learned Magistrate is justified in directing to issue process against the applicants and / or whether on the material on record, the learned Magistrate was justified in directing to issue process against the applicants for the offence of defamation ? In a case where it is found that complaint is absolutely vexatious and mala fide and no prima case is made out even considering the averments and allegations in the complaint, in such case as held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of State of Hariyana & Others vs. Bhajanlal & Others reported in 1992 (1) Suppl. SCC 335 the Court can in exercise of powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to quash and set aside the said criminal proceedings.
6.8. Considering the averments and allegations in the complaint as well as even the statement of the complainant on oath which has been recorded by the learned Magistrate by holding the inquiry under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, this Court is of the opinion that no prima faice case is made out against the applicantsofficers of the AUDA for the offences under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code. Nothing is on record that the act of the applicantsofficers of the AUDA to seal the property was with an intend to harm the reputation of the complainant and / or publishing the news of sealing the property in the newspaper at the instance of the applicants – officers of the AUDA. It is required to be noted at this stage that all the Senior officers of the AUDA are arraigned as accused. Therefore, even keeping the questions open whether the learned Magistrate could have taken the cognizance of the offence without the sanction of the competent authority as provided under Section 195 of the Code of Criminal Procedure r/w Section 105 of the Gujarat Town Planning Act, it appears to the Court that as such no case is made out against the applicants for the offences under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code and for the offences alleged, for which the learned Magistrate has directed to issue process against the applicants and therefore, to continue the criminal proceedings against the applicants would be unnecessary harassment to them and would be abuse of process of law and the Court and therefore, this Court is of the opinion that this is a fit case to exercise the powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
7.0. In view of the above and for the reasons stated above, application succeeds and impugned criminal proceedings being Criminal Case No.5708 of 2010 pending in the Court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ahmedabad (Rural) and the order passed by the learned Magistrate in the said complaint directing to issue process against the applicants for the offences under Sections 499, 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code are hereby quashed and set aside so far as applicants hereinoriginal accused nos. 4.1 to 4.17 are concerned. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. No costs.
kaushik sd/ (M.R.SHAH, J.)