JUDGMENT

CHINNAPPA REDDY, J.:—The Officer who was investigating into offences under Sections 120-B, 420, 468 and 471 Indian Penal Code alleged against the respondent, Ram Babu Misra, moved the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow, to direct the accused to give his specimen writing for the purpose of comparison with certain disputed writings. The learned Magistrate held that he had no power to do so when the case was still under investigation. His view has been upheld by the High Court. The State has preferred this appeal by Special Leave of this Court.

2. Shri O. P. Rana, learned counsel for the appellant, contended that S. 73 of the Evidence Act conferred ample power on the Magistrate to direct the accused to give his specimen writing even during the course of investigation. He also urged that it would be generally in the interests of the administration of justice for the Magistrate to direct the accused to give his specimen writing when the case was still under investigation, since that would enable the investigating agency not to place the accused before the Magistrate for trial or enquiry, if the disputed writing, as a result of comparison with the specimen writing was found not to have been made by the accused. While we agree with Mr. Rana that a direction by the Magistrate to the accused to give his specimen writing when the case is still under investigation would surely be in the interests of the administration of justice, we find ourselves unable to agree with his submission that S. 73 of the Evidence Act enables the Magistrate to give such a direction even when the case is still under investigation.

3. S. 73 of the Evidence Act is as follows :

"73. In order to ascertain whether a signature, writing or seal is that of the person by whom it purports to have been written or made, any signature, writing or seal admitted or proved to the satisfaction of the Court to have been written or made by that person may be compared with the one which is to be proved, although that signature, writing or seal has not been produced or proved for any other purpose.

The Court may direct any person present in Court to write any words or figures for the purpose of enabling the Court to compare the words or figures so written with any words or figures alleged to have been written by such person.

This section applies also, with any necessary modifications to finger-impressions".

4. The second paragraph of Sec. 73 enables the Court to direct any person present in Court to give specimen writings for the purpose of enabling the Court to compare such writings with writings alleged to have been written by such person. The clear implication of the words for the purpose of enabling the Court to compare is that there is some proceeding before the Court in which or as a consequence of which it might be necessary for the Court to compare such writings. The direction is to be given for the purpose of enabling the Court to compare and not for the purpose of enabling the investigating or other agency to compare. If the case is still under investigation there is no present proceeding before the Court in which or as a consequence of which it might be necessary to compare the writings. The language of S. 73 does not permit a Court to give a direction to the accused to give specimen writings for anticipated necessity for comparison in a proceeding which may later be instituted in the Court. Further, S. 73 of the Evidence Act makes no distinction between a Civil Court and a Criminal Court. Would it be open to a person to seek the assistance of the Civil Court for a direction to some other person to give sample writing under S. 73 of the Evidence Act on the plea that it would help him to decide whether to institute a Civil suit in which the question would be whether certain alleged writings are those of the other persons or not ? Obviously not. If not, why should it make any difference if the investigating agency seeks the assistance of the Court under S. 73 of the E