2009(5) Supreme 111
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
(From Calcutta High Court)
Dr. Arijit Pasayat and Harjit Singh Bedi, JJ.
Chittaranjan Mirdha — Appellant
versus
Dulal Ghosh & Anr. — Respondents
Criminal Appeal No. 964 of 2008
(Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 5189 of 2007)
Decided on : 08-05-2009
AIR 1985 SC 1285 – Relied upon.
(b) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 – Sections 156(3), 169, 178, 190, 200 and 202 – Scope and ambit discussed. (Paras 13 and 14)
AIR 1968 SC 117 – Relied upon.
(c) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 – Section 173(2) – Where the Magistrate decides not to take cognizance and to drop the proceeding or takes a view that there is no sufficient ground for proceeding against some of the persons mentioned in the First Information Report, notice to the informant and grant of opportunity of being heard in the matter becomes mandatory. (Para 14)
AIR 1985 SC 1285 – Relied upon.
(d) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 – Section 173(2) – Magistrate must issue notice to the informant at the time of considering the police report – If the informant is not aware as to when the matter is to be considered, he cannot be faulted. (Para 17)
(2004) 7 SCC 768 – Relied upon.
Facts of the case :
1. A complaint was lodged by the appellant with the Inspector in charge of Canning police station alleging that on 25.12.2000 at about 12 noon when his son Dipak Mirdha was in a saloon under the name and style “Sundaram” at Canning bus stand, he suddenly sustained a gunshot injury on his person. Upon hearing the sound of such gunshot and the chaos which resulted thereby, the third son of the complainant rushed to the spot. The victim was shifted to Canning Hospital where he was declared dead.
2. There was previous enmity between the victim and one Azimuddin Laskar of Basanti Police Station and Kartick Bose of Canning Police Station over the decoration of Canning Dock Ferry Ghat. In 1999, one Anil Thakur was murdered by some antisocial elements near Canning Hospital. Arnab Roy, Pradhan of Dighirpar Gram Panchayat, falsely implicated the complainant’s son, in connection with that murder.
3. The Learned Court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Alipore, by order dated 31.08.2001 took cognizance of offences under sections 302/34/120B of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 25/27 of the Arms Act and directed issuance of warrants of arrest against the absconding accused persons.
4. After about 27 months i.e. on 27.2.03 the defacto complainant i.e. the present appellant filed an application before the Ld. Court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate praying for direction upon the DIG, CID, West Bengal to cause further investigation in terms of Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 whereupon such direction was issued.
5. The learned court by order dated 9.6.2005 directed issuance of warrant of arrest which was issued against the respondent no.1.
6. A petition under Section 482 of the Code was filed before the Calcutta High Court questioning the correctness of the order passed. The High Court observed that the order of taking cognizance deserved to be set aside. Learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate was directed to consider the relevant materials as well as the charge sheet No. 141 of 29.7.2001.
Finding of the Court:
Impugned judgment cannot be faulted with.
Result : Appeal dismissed.
JUDGMENT
Dr. Arijit Pasayat, J.—
1. Leave granted.
2. Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment of a learned Single Judge of the Calcutta High Court quashing the cognizance taken by learned Addl. District and Sessions Judge, 4th Court Alipore in Canning PS case No. 160 relating to offences punishable under Section 302/34/120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short the ‘IPC’) read with Section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, 1959 (in short the ‘Arms Act’) pending trial before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate District South 24 Parganas.
3. Background facts in a nutshell are as follows:
A complaint was lodged by the appellant with the Inspector in charge of Canning police station alleging that on 25.12.2000 at about 12 noon when his son Dipak Mirdha was in a saloon under the name and style “Sundaram” at Canning bus stand, he suddenly sustained a gunshot injury on his person. Upon hearing the sound of such gunshot and the chaos which resulted thereby, the third son of the complainant rushed to the spot. With the help of others the victim was shifted to Canning Hospital where he was declared dead. There was previous enmity between the victim and one Azimuddin Laskar of Basanti Police Station and Kartick Bose of Canning Police Station over the decoration of Canning Dock Ferry Ghat. In 1999, one Anil Thakur was murdered by some antisocial elements near Canning Hospital. Arnab Roy, Pradhan of Dighirpar Gram Panchayat, falsely implicated the complainant’s son being the victim, in connection with that murder.
On the basis of such complaint, Canning P.S. case No.160 dated 25.12.2000 was started. After completion of investigation, the Investigating Authority submitted chargesheet No. 141 dated 2.9.07.2001 implicating Animesh Halder @ Kuche, Rajesh Dhali, Selim Gayan, Rafique Dhali and Rajab Ali @ Doktar as accused persons. On the basis of such chargesheet, the Learned Court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Alipore, by order dated 31.08.2001 took cognizance of offences under sections 302/34/120B of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 25/27 of the Arms Act and directed issuance of warrants of arrest against the absconding accused persons. After about 27 months i.e. on 27.2.03 the defacto complainant i.e. the present appellant filed an application before the Ld. Court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate praying for direction upon the DIG, CID, West Bengal to cause further investigation in terms of Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (in short the ‘Code’) .
Learned Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Alipore, by order dated 27.2.2003, in response to such prayer directed the DIG, CID, West Bengal, to investigate the aforesaid case under Section 173(8) of the Code.
The learned court by order dated 9.6.2005 directed issuance of warrant of arrest which was issued against the respondent no.1.
Being aggrieved by the said order dated 27.2.003 and order dated 9.6.2005, the respondent no.1 moved a revisional application being Criminal Motion No. 484 of 2005 before the Learned Sessions Judge, Alipore. Learned 4th Court of Additional. Sessions Judge, Alipore, who by order dated 13.3.2006 rejected the application on the ground that there was no scope to reopen the matter in view of an earlier application filed by one Arnab Roy, against the said dated 27.2.2003 and disposal of the said application being Criminal Motion No. 100/03 by order dated 21.1.2004.
4. Learned counsel for the respondent no.1 referring to the backdrop of the present case submitted that admittedly after completion of investigation of the case under reference police authority submitted chargesheet for the offences which include a serious offence under section 302 of Indian Penal Code. The Learned Court on receipt of the said chargesheet took cognizance of the offences. It could be that the FIR named accused persons were left out in the chargesheet, whereas few others were implicated.
5. It cannot be denied that in such a situation it was the
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