HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
SHELAT, MIABHOY, JJ.
Dattatraya Dulaji Ghadigaonkar
Versus
Wadilal Panchal
Criminal Revision Application No. 834 of 1957, against the order of dismissal passed by Presidency Magistrate, 4th Court, Girgaum, Bombay in Case No. 6/1 and R. of 1956.
Decided On : 13-09-1957
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE - CHAPTER XVI - SCOPE OF POWERS OF MAGISTRATES - DISMISSAL OF COMPLAINT UNDER S. 203 - PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED - PRESUMPTION UNDER S. 105 OF THE EVIDENCE ACT - APPLICABILITY.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner's younger brother, Sitaram, was shot and killed by the respondent, a Bhayya, while the petitioner and his friends were trying to give aid to an injured Bhayya near Laud Mansion, Charni Road Station. The petitioner filed a complaint against the respondent for murder, which was dismissed by the learned Presidency Magistrate under S. 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Finding of the Court:
The learned Magistrate erred in dismissing the complaint under S. 203 without taking evidence of the complainant and his witnesses. The learned Magistrate also erred in relying solely upon the report of the police, which was not legal evidence, to establish the exception of the right of private defence pleaded by the respondent.
Issues: 1. Whether the learned Magistrate was entitled to dismiss the complaint without taking evidence of the complainant and his witnesses? 2. Whether the learned Magistrate was entitled to rely solely upon the report of the police to establish the exception of the right of private defence pleaded by the respondent?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Under Ss. 200, 202 and 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a Magistrate is not bound to issue process immediately a complaint is filed before him, but where he has doubts about the truth of the complaint, he may postpone the issue of process and order an inquiry by a police officer or by such other person as the Magistrate thinks fit for the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of the complaint. The Magistrate may also examine witnesses on oath while he is making the inquiry into the complaint. After considering the statement on oath, if any, of the complainant and the witnesses and the result of the investigation or inquiry, if any, under S. 202, the Magistrate may dismiss a complaint if he finds that there is no sufficient ground for proceeding. 2. The presumption under S. 105 of the Evidence Act that the Court shall presume the absence of circumstances constituting an exception unless such absence is disproved by the accused is mandatory and cannot be abrogated by the provisions of Ss. 202 and 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Therefore, a Magistrate cannot dismiss a complaint under S. 203 on the basis of a report from the police that an exception has been established, without any legal evidence to support the report.
Final Decision: The petition was allowed. The order of dismissal passed by the learned Presidency Magistrate was set aside and the case was remanded to be dealt with by another learned Presidency Magistrate in accordance with law.
SHELAT, J. :- This is an application in revision against the order passed by the learned Presidency Magistrate, IVth Court, Girgaum, whereby re dismissed under S. 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code the complaint filed by the petitioner on the 31-10-1956. The application raises points of interest in regard to the scope of the powers of Magistrates under Chapter XVI of the Criminal Procedure Code.
2. Before we go to the several contentions raised on behalf of the parties in somewhat elaborate arguments, it would be expedient to set out a few facts relevant for the purposes of this judgment.
3. It is a well-known fact that, in the evening of the 3-6-1956, a public meeting was held at Chowpaty which was to be addressed by the Prime Minister of India. It is equally a well-known fact that considerable disturbance was caused at that meeting as a result whereof that meeting had to be dispersed. Consequently large crowds began to wander about in various localities around Chowpaty including the area around Charni Road Station. It is the case of the petitioner that at about 8 p. m., that day, his younger brother Sitaram Ghadigaonkar, was crossing the road from the up side of Charni Road Railway platform near a building called Laud Mansion. At that time there was a large crowd on that road and members of that crowd were stopping vehicles passing by that road. One taxi, which had come from the side of Opera House and was attempting to go towards Church-gate was already stopped. Sitaram was accompanied at this time by Shashikant Kamtekar and one Nandkumar Ganpat Vagal. While they were trying to cross the road or had in fact crossed the road, these three persons heard revolver shots and on looking back they found that a Bhayya was injured by one of these shots and was lying on the footpath opposite Charni Road Station. It is the case of the petitioner that thereupon Sitaram and his friends went up to that Bhayya in order to give him aid, and it was at this stage one more shot was fired by one of the occupants in the blue car which was on the left side of the road at that time near the taxi which had been stopped by the crowd and was trying to overtake that taxi from the left side in order to go towards Churchgate. According to the petitioner, this blue car, which was attempting to go towards Churchgate. was near the footpath on the left side when the shots were fired. The last shot that was so fired struck Sitaram as a result of which he died almost instantaneously and before he could be removed to a hospital.
4. The petitioner thereafter made inquiry with the Commissioner of Police, Bombay, if he had any intention of taking steps against the respondent who, according to the petitioner, had fired the shot which killed his brother.
5. It would seem that the respondent had gone to Gamdevi Police Station that night when he informed the Police that while he was returning from the meeting at Chowpaty and was proceeding from the side of Opera House towards Churchgate in the car belonging to Mr. K. K. Shah, an Advocate of this Court, that car was surrounded by a mob of 200 or 300 persons who were rowdy in the extreme, that a taxi had already been stopped by that mob, that their car also was stopped, that one of the occupants of their car was manhandled by the crowd, that some of the persons in that crowd also handled him roughly with the result that his shirt was torn and he was deprived of his papers and cash of Rs. 35/-, that these persons then tried to drag him out of the car and that he in fact sustained some injuries upon his neck. The officer of Gamdevi Police Station sent him to Nair Hospital for examination. He was treated there but it is said that although the medical authorities asked him to stay in the hospital the respondent declined.
6. The version of Shashikant Kamtekar, Nandkumar Vagal, Prabhakar Dhole and Subodh Janardhan, who claimed to be eye-witnesses of the incident that took place near Laud Mansion, was that Shashikant and
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