Debasish Kar Gupta, J.—These bunch of applications filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as the Cr.P.C.) have been assigned to this Bench by the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice by an order dated November 13, 2017 on the basis of a reference made by a learned Single Judge of this Court (Tarun Kumar Gupta, J.) to decide the following issues in the backdrop of the relevant provisions of law:—

“(1) Whether the amendment of Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 as enacted vide Section 19 of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2005 (25 of 2005) casts a mandatory duty upon the Magistrate to conduct an inquiry under Section 202 of the Code before issuing process under Section 204 of the Code qua an accused who resides outside the territorial limit of the Court of the said Magistrate?

(2) What will be the nature of such inquiry under Section 202 of the Code qua an accused who resides outside the territorial limit of the said Court?

(3) Whether non-compliance of such inquiry in terms of Section 202 (as amended vide Section 19 of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act 2005 (25 of 2005) will invalidate or vitiate the o