The Magistrate has the power to discharge an accused even if the police have submitted a final form charge-sheet against him, and the Magistrate is not bound by the police report and can differ from it if he finds that there is no sufficient ground to proceed against a particular accused.

Headnote:
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - Discharge of accused - Magistrate's power - Cognizance - Sufficient ground - Final form charge-sheet - Scope of Sec.204 Cr. PC - Interpretation.
Fact of the Case:

The informant, Basanti Uraon, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Mobin Ansari and that Dr. Jamal, the petitioner in the Criminal Miscellaneous case, helped her get an abortion. The police submitted a final form charge-sheet against Mobin Ansari, Dr. Jamal, and Tabarak Hussain under Sections 377, 364, 363, and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. The Chief Judicial Magistrate discharged Tabarak Hussain and issued processes against Dr. Jamal and Mobin Ansari.
Finding of the Court:

The court held that the Magistrate did not err in discharging Tabarak Hussain as there was no sufficient ground to proceed against him. The court also held that the prosecution against Dr. Jamal should be quashed as there was no evidence to suggest that he had committed any offence.
Issues: 1. Whether the Magistrate erred in discharging Tabarak Hussain when the final form charge-sheet included him as an accused under sections exclusively triable by the court of sessions? 2. Whether the Magistrate was bound by the police report and had to commit the case for trial by sessions even if no sufficient ground was made out? 3. Whether there was sufficient ground to proceed against Dr. Jamal?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The Magistrate has the power to discharge an accused even if the police have submitted a final form charge-sheet against him. 2. The Magistrate is not bound by the police report and can differ from it if he finds that there is no sufficient ground to proceed against a particular accused. 3. In the present case, there was no sufficient ground to proceed against Tabarak Hussain as the informant had exonerated him in her first two statements under Sec.164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. There was also no evidence to suggest that Dr. Jamal had committed any offence.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the Criminal Revision application and allowed the Criminal Miscellaneous application, quashing the prosecution against Dr. Jamal.

Judgment

S.Shamsul Hasan, J.

1. Criminal Revision 127 of 1982 (R) and Criminal Miscellaneous No. 1858 of 1982 (R) have been heard together as they arise out of the same order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi, on 11-1-1982. In the former case, the State is the petitioner against a part of the aforesaid order by which the opposite-party has been discharged. The latter application is by one of the accused against whom process have been issued and commitment proceeding started Subsequently the petitioner has been committed and his application is under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure for quashing of the entire prosecution. It may also be stated that the former case was filed after the expiry of the period o limitation which, however, was condoned by this Court.

2. Both these applications arise out of a Fardbeyan lodged by one Basanti Uraon on 22-8-81 at Sadar Hospital. This led to the institution of a case in Lohardaga Police Station being Lohardaga P.S. Case No. 66 (8)81. It is useful to set out the entire Fardbeyan in extension which is as follows:

Hamaranam Basanti Orain Urf Laxmi Urain entry Budhana Oraon sakin Nadia thana Lohardaga hai, Mai aaj din Sombar ko Karib 11 baje din me ap Kisko thana ke daroga ji ke samne beyan dati hu ki mai karib 1 sal se Lohardaga me Husen Sahab Magistrate ke yaha dai ka kam karti hu. Aj se karib 3-4 mahina pahle mere sahab, Husen Saheb, mem sahab ke sath chhutti me apne ghar Gaya ja rahe the. Un logo ne mujhe kaha ki humlog ghar se karib ek saptah bad laotange. Apne ghar chali jana. Jab hamlog lautenge tab tumhe khabar kar denge. Jab sahab log quarter se chale to us samay din ke karib do baja tha, Us din Sukra din tha, Usi samai mai apne ghar jane lagi. Itne par Court ka ak chaprasi jiska nam mai nahi janti hu parantu dekhkar pahchan sakti hu jo abhl Court me kam karta hai mere pass aya or mujh se kaha ke turn kaha ja rahi ho. Is par maine kaha ke mai apne ghar ja rahi hu. Tab uha bola ki turn mere yaha chal kar mera chulha bana do. Uske kahne par mai uske quarter me jo kachhari ke hata me hi hai gai aur uska chulha bana di. Uske bad uha mujhse kaha ki kothri me bhi jawo kam aur hai jab mai uske kahne par uske kothri me gai to uha mere hath pakar kar jamin par bichhawan par patak diya. Aur mujhse kaha ki agar turn halla karogj to marunga. Dar ke mare maine halla nahi kiya. Iske bad uha jabardasti meri sari upar utha diya aur apna pant bhi khol diya. Uha apna land mere bur me ghusa diya Aur mujhe Chodne laga, Uha us samai hath se meri chhati bhi pakre hua tha. Mujhe kafii dard ho raha tha. Uha karib 15 minute tak mujhe chodte raha. Jab uha chod kar utha to mujhe kafi dard ho raha tha. Mai dard ke mare yonhi baith gai. Jab mera dard khuch kam hua to uha mujhe char rupaya diya aur kaha ki yah bat kisi se mat kahna. Mai uske bad unha se apne ghar chali gai. Ghar me maine yha bat laj sharm se kisi se nahi kahi, Karib ak hafta bad jab sahab log Gaya se aa gaye to mal puna jakar kam karne lagi. Karib do mahina bad mera mahinabandi band ho gaya. Aur mujhe ulti hone laga to mem saheb ne mujhse pucha ki kya bat hai. Kya tumhare pet me bacha hai. Us par maine sab bat saf saf mem sahab ko bata di. Is bat ko mem saheb ne sahab se bhi kah diya. Tab sahab ne kaha ke mai tumhara llaj karwa dunga. 15 August ki jhanda ke den Husen Saheb ne Dr. Jamal ko jo Janwar ke doctor hai ko bulaya aur unse kaha ke ap meri dai ko Kisko Hospital me le jakar dawai karwa dijia maine doctor se bat karliya hai. Is par Dr. Jamal mujhe apni motor Saikil me baitha kar karib 2 baje Kisko Hospital le gaye janha par uha ke dactor sahab mujhe table per leta ker mere done bahe me do sui lagaye. Iske bad mah behosh ho gai. Jab karib do ghanta bad kuchh hosh hua to maine dekha ki mere peshab ke raste me patti bhandha hai. Aur khun bhi bah raha hai iske bad Dr. Jamil fir se apni motor saikil me bathakar mujhe Lohardaga le jane lage to Kisho thana me pas uha ki police mujhe tatha Jamal ko thana me le jakar puchh tachh kiya

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Judicial Analysis

1982 Supreme(Pat) 160

PATNA HIGH COURTS.Shamsul Hasan, J.State Of BiharVersusTabarak HussainCriminal Revision No. 127 of 1982 ;Criminal Miscellaneous No. 1858 of 1982 ;Decided On : DECEMBER 03, 1982

The Magistrate has the power to discharge an accused even if the police have submitted a final form charge-sheet against him, and the Magistrate is not bound by the police report and can differ from it if he finds that there is no sufficient ground to proceed against a particular accused.

Judicial Analysis

PATNA HIGH COURT
S.Shamsul Hasan, J.
State Of Bihar
Versus
Tabarak Hussain
Criminal Revision No. 127 of 1982 ;
Criminal Miscellaneous No. 1858 of 1982 ;
Decided On : DECEMBER 03, 1982