Jai Mata Di Rice Mill vs State of Bihar

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2015 Supreme(Pat) 807

HIGH COURT OF PATNA
ASHWANI KUMAR SINGH, J.
(5.10.2015)
Cri.W.J. Case Nos. 931 of 2015 With Cr.W.J.C. Nos. 1021, 316, 412, 423, 446, 449, 420, 424, 454, 864, 914, 919, 977, 1002, 996, 330, 686, 682, 688, 789, 465, 480, 525, 527, 621, 534, 545, 586, 533, 672, 656, 653, 594, 639, 626, 661, 606, 607, 646, 634, 631, 663, 664, 702, 641, 685, 644, 671, 687, 774, 684, 725, 723, 753, 729, 726, 720, 797, 743, 793, 807, 832, 883, 922, 453, 464, 466, 477, 478, 484, 547 of 2015 and 148, 164, 241, 184, 655, 676 of 2014 and 391 of 2013, 1150 of 2012 and 426 of 2013.
M/s Jai Mata Di Rice Mill : Petitioners
Ors. Anr.
Vs.
The State of Bihar & Ors. : Respondents

Advocates:
Appearance :
(In Cr. WJC No.931 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Ashish Giri.
For the Resp.-State : M/s M. K. Ambastha, Subodh Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.1021 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, Anjum Perveen.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Mithilesh Kumar Pathak, S. Rahman.
(In Cr. WJC No.316 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Sanjay Pandit.
(In Cr. WJC No.412 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. M.Prasad.
(In Cr. WJC No.423 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. M. Mishra.
(In Cr. WJC No.446 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Gautam Bose.
(In Cr. WJC No.449 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : M/s J.S.Barnwal, Nutan Sahay.
(In Cr. WJC No.420 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Smt. Kumari Amrita, Rajesh Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.424 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Dudh Nath Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Harish Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.454 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. P. Sinha.
(In Cr. WJC No.864 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Anjum Perveen, Sanjeev Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Ajay, Nirmal Kumar, Lokesh.
(In Cr. WJC No.914 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Dharmendra Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Dhurjati Kr. Prasad.
(In Cr. WJC No.919 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Anjani Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.977 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Akhileshwar Prasad Singh, Amrit Anumay, Prabhu Narayan Sharma.
For the Resp.-State : Dr. Anshuman.
(In Cr. WJC No.1002 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Rajiv Roy.
(In Cr. WJC No.996 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. P. Pratap.
(In Cr. WJC No.330 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Radha Mohan Pandey, Chandra Shekhar Verma, Vibhuti Ranjan.
For the Resp.-State : Dr. A.K.Upadhyay.
(In Cr. WJC No.686 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Prabhat Ranjan Singh, Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Sanjay Pandey, Nishant Kumar Jha.
(In Cr. WJC No.682 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey, Prabhat Ranjan Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Md. Nadim Seraj.
(In Cr. WJC No.688 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey, Prabhat Ranjan Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. S. K. Sharma.
(In Cr. WJC No.789 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey, Prabhat Ranjan Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Prasoon Sinha, Madhu Bala Verma.
(In Cr. WJC No.465 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sanjan Kumar Sharan.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Rajesh Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.480 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Abhay Kumar Singh, Sumeet Kumar Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Partha Sarthi.
(In Cr. WJC No.525 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Kumar Sunil.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. S. K.Sinha.
(In Cr. WJC No.527 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Nilesh Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : M/s V. K. Singh, Sumant Kumar Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.621 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Ashok Kumar Pandey.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Raju Giri.
For the BSFC : Mr. Manisha Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.534 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Avinash Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.545 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s P.K. Verma, Mankeshwar Tiwari.
(In Cr. WJC No.586 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Abhinay Raj.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. K. B. Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.533 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Rajiv Roy.
(In Cr. WJC No.627 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Uma Shankar.
(In Cr. WJC No.656 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Ramchandra Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Upendra Pratap Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.653 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey, Rakesh Narayan Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. M.K. Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.594 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey, Rakesh Narayan Singh, Prabhat Ranjan Pandey, Archana Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : M/s S. Kumar, Amrendra Narayan Rai.
(In Cr. WJC No.639 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sunil Kumar Dubey.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. M. K. Sinha.
For the BSFC : Mr. Awadhesh Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.626 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Birendra Kumar Sinha, Madhuri Lata, Awadhesh Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Harish Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.661 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Binay Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. S.K.Jha.
(In Cr. WJC No.606 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. V.K. Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.607 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Nawlesh Kumar Malhotra, Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Anshuman Singh, Rajeev Shakhar.
(In Cr. WJC No.646 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Abhya Kumar, Ramchandra Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Ajay, Rakesh Kumar Ranjan.
(In Cr. WJC No.634 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Sumeet Kumar Singh, Abhiprav Singh, Satyendra Pd. Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. P.K. Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.631 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Arvind Kumar No.1, Ratna Kumari.
(In Cr. WJC No.663 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Namrata Mishra, Archana Jha.
(In Cr. WJC No.664 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. A.K.Sinha.
(In Cr. WJC No.702 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Sandeep Kumar, Pramod Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.641 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mrs. Nivedita Nirvikar.
(In Cr. WJC No.685 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s S.P. Singh, Dilip Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.644 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. A.Ujjwal.
(In Cr. WJC No.671 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Baxi S.R.P. Sinha, Rahul Nath.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Ajeet Kumar, Manoj Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.687 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Baxi S.R.P. Sinha, Rahul Nath.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Vivek Prasad, Manisha Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.774 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Amit Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Pankaj Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.684 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Baxi S.R.P. Sinha, Rahul Nath.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Anil Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.725 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Baxi S.R.P. Sinha, Rahul Nath.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Gautam Bose.
(In Cr. WJC No.723 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Nilesh Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Nadeem Seraj, Shalini.
(In Cr. WJC No.753 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Nilesh Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. G.P.Ojha.
(In Cr. WJC No.729 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Prabhakar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Jai Shankar Barnwal, Nutan Sahay.
(In Cr. WJC No.726 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Prabhakar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Ashok Priyadarshi.
(In Cr. WJC No.720 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sunil Kumar Singh No-10.
For the Resp.-State : M/s A. P. Singh, Satyapal Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.797 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Kripa Nand Jha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. R. S. Nath.
(In Cr. WJC No.743 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Pandey S. Sahay.
(In Cr. WJC No.793 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Ravi Ranjan.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Raju Giri.
(In Cr. WJC No.807 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Dinu Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Arbind Kumar Sharma, Santosh Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : Smt. Nivedita Nirvikar.
(In Cr. WJC No.832 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Rajeev Kumar Verma, Karuna Nath Sahay, Prashant Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Shailendra Kumar Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.883 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Amit Kumar.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. A.N. Sinha.
(In Cr. WJC No.922 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Rajesh Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Binita Sinha, Mukund Mohan Jha.
(In Cr. WJC No.453 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Dudh Nath Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Dr. Anil Kr.Upadhyay.
(In Cr. WJC No.464 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Jai Prakash Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. R.N.Dubey.
For the Resp. No. 8 : M/s Nirmal Kumar, Lokesh.
(In Cr. WJC No.466 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Jai Prakash Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s A.K. Chaudhary, Avanindra Kumar Jha.
(In Cr. WJC No.477 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Jai Prakash Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Anshuman Singh, Rajeev Shakhar.
(In Cr. WJC No.478 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Jai Prakash Singh.
For the Resp.-State : M/s V.K. Singh, Krishna Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.484 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Jai Prakash Singh.
For the Resp.State : Mr. Manish Kumar.
(In Cr. WJC No.547 of 2015)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Md. Imteyaz Ahmad.
For the Resp.-State : Smt. Nivedita Nirvikar.
(In Cr. WJC No.148 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Imteyaz Ahmad.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Pandey Sanjay Sahay.
(In Cr. WJC No.164 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: M/s Ajay Kumar Thakur, Md. Imteyaz Ahmad.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Anshul.
(In Cr. WJC No.241 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: Md. Imteyaz Ahmad.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Dhurjati Kumar Prasad.
(In Cr. WJC No.184 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: Md. Imteyaz Ahmad.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Manindra Kishore Singh.
(In Cr. WJC No.655 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: M/s Radha Mohan Pandey, Chandra Shekhar Verma, Vibhuti Ranjan.
For the Resp.-State : M/s Anushuman Singh, Siddhartha Shankar Pandey.
(In Cr. WJC No.676 of 2014)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Sumeet Kumar Singh.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Sanjay Pandey.
(In Cr. WJC No.391 of 2013)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. U.S.S. Sinha.
(In Cr. WJC No.1150 of 2012)
For the Petitioners: M/s Birendra Kumar Sinha, Rasalanandan Kumar, Madhuri Lata.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Amrendra Narayan Rai.
(In Cr. WJC No.426 of 2013)
For the Petitioners: Mr. Binod Kumar Sinha.
For the Resp.-State : Mr. Vivek Prasad (In all writ petitions).
For the BSFC : M/s Anjani Kumar, Shailendra Kumar Singh.

Headnote:Constitution of India–Article 226–Read with Sections 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code–Quashing of First Information Report–Petitioners, the rice millers, receiving paddy from the Bihar Food & Civil Supply Corporation (FCI) for milling the rice, but failed to return the contracted quantity of rice–They are alleged to have committed misappropriation of paddy and criminal breach of trust–Though the rice millers were under obligation to return the rice to the extent of 67% of paddy supplied to them, in several cases, either no custom milled rice (CMR) was returned at all or there was huge shortfall in returning CMR–Corporation sustained loss of multi-crores due to non–delivery of several lakh quintals of CMR against the paddy released–The FIRs do attract ingredients of a cognizable offence–The hazy picture presented by the allegations made in the FIRs would be rendered more and more clear when all the incriminating materials unfold during investigation–if before all material facts are unearthed by the investigating agency and the FIRs are nipped in the bud, there cannot be greater injustice–The court, under its extraordinary or inherent powers, can neither intervene at an uncalled for stage nor it can soft-pedal the course of justice at a crucial stage of investigation–Writ petitions dismissed. (Paras, 48, 49 & 61)
(2005) 2 SCC 571; (2014) 10 SCC 663; (2011) 7 SCC 59; (2000) 4 SCC 168; (2005) 13 SCC 699; (2006) SCC 669; (2005) 10 SCC 336; (2006) 1 SCC (Cr.) 746; (2006) 2 SCC (Cr.) 49; (2011) 13 SCC 412; (2009) 14 SCC 696; (1976) 3 SCC 736; 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335; (2006) 6 SCC 736; (2009) 1 SCC 516; (1999) 8 SCC 686; (2008) 2 SCC 561; AIR 1960 SC 889; (2014) 3 SCC 383; (1985) 2 SCC 370; (2006) 6 SCC 736; (2014) 3 SCC 389; AIR 1982 SC 949; AIR 1988 SC 709; (1995) 6 SCC 194; AIR 1993 SC 892; (2000) 2 SCC 636; (2003) 3 SCC 11; AIR 1983 SC 1219; J.T. 1996 (2) 488; (2011) 12 SCC 437; (2014) 12 SCC 556; (1995) 6 SCC 194; AIR 1960 SC 866; (2009) 11 SCC 529–Referred.

ASHWANI KUMAR SINGH, J.:–This order shall dispose of Cr.WJC No. 931 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 1021 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 316 of 2015, Cr. JC No. 412 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 423 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 446 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 449 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 420 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 424 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 454 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 864 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 914 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 919 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 977 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 1002 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 996 of 2015, Cr.WJC No. 330 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 686 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 682 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 688 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 789 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 465 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 480 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 525 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 527 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 621 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 534 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 545 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 586 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 533 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 627 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 656 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 653 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 594 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 639 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 626 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 661 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 606 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 607 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 646 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 634 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 631 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 663 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 664 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 702 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 641 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 685 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 644 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 671 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 687 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 774 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 684 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 725 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 723 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 753 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 729 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 726 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 720 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 797 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 743 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 793 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 807 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 832 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 883 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 922 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 453 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 464 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 466 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 477 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 478 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 484 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 547 of 2015, Cr. WJC No. 148 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 164 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 241 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 184 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 655 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 676 of 2014, Cr. WJC No. 391 of 2013, Cr. WJC No. 1150 of 2012 and Cr. WJC No. 426 of 2013.

2. The aforementioned cases involve more or less identical facts and questions of law. In all the writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for quashing of the First Information Report (for short ‘FIR’) of the respective cases in which they have been made accused.

3. The petitioners are proprietors of different firms involved in the business of custom milling of paddy. The informants are the officers of the Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (for short ‘Corporation’) which procures paddy, entrusts it to the persons/firms that have capacity for storage and requisite plant and machinery for milling paddy and for its consequent conversion into rice. The Corporation procures paddy, whereafter it is stored in godowns belonging to the Corporation and thereafter, allocated for milling to rice millers like the petitioners. The rice millers, after milling and processing paddy, are required to return the rice in accordance with the terms and conditions of an agreement executed between the parties. The quantity of rice delivered, in relation to the paddy entrusted to the petitioners, for obvious reasons, is less than the paddy supplied to them. The exact quantity of paddy entrusted, the quantity of rice to be returned, the consequence of the failure to report etc. are all enumerated in the instructions, issued from time to time, as also in the agreement that is generally executed between the agency and the rice millers.

4. As noted above, since the essential facts of all the cases are identical, the facts are being extracted from Cr.W.J.C. No. 931 of 2015. In the aforesaid case, the petitioner seeks quashing of FIR of Madanpur P.S.Case No.49 of 2015, dated 09.04.2015, registered under Sections 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (for short ‘IPC’).

5. In the aforesaid case, for the year 2012-13, the petitioner was entrusted with 5043.95 quintals of paddy by the Corporation for the purpose of milling

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