2017 Supreme(Pat) 411
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PATNA
Nilu Agrawal, J.
Krishna Choudhary – Appellant
Vs.
The State of Bihar and Ors. – Respondents
Cr. Misc. No. 38281 of 2011
Decided On : 17-05-2017
For the Appellant : Purushottam Jha and Vikash Kr. Jha
For the Respondent: Murli Dhar
Headnote:Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973–Section 482 r/w Section 197–Quashing of order taking cognizance–no prior sanction under Section 197 Cr.P.C. taken by the State Government as the petitioner while discharging his official duties as a public servant and that of a certificate officer has issued warrant of arrest opposite party no. 2 for non-payment of Bank’s loan–Continuance further proceedings would amount to gross abuse of the process of the court–Order taking cognizance and the entire proceedings quashed. (Paras 6 and 7)
2000(2) PLJR 47, 2000 (3) PLJR 104 (SC), 2017 (2) PLJR 485–Referred.
Nilu Agrawal, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned APP for the State. In spite of notice and in spite of opposite party No. 2 having appeared through Vakalatnama, he has chosen not to appear on earlier dates i.e. on 3.5.2017 and thereafter on 10.5.2017, hence, the present application is being heard on merits. This application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter referred to as the Cr.P.C.) has been filed for quashing of order dated 29.3.2011, passed by learned Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, Khagaria in Complaint Case No. 307(C)/2008 filed by opposite party No. 2 whereby and whereunder cognizance for offence punishable under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code has been taken while issuing summons, with further prayer for quashing of the entire proceedings arising out of the said complaint case.
2. In short, the facts of the case is that opposite party No. 2 took loan of Rs. 15,13,676/- from the District Central Cooperative Bank Ltd., Khagaria in the year 1995 with interest @ 17% per annum and on failure to repay the said loan amount the Bank filed Certificate Case Nos. 1/2001-02 and 2/2001-02 in the Court of Certificate Officer, Khagaria against the complainant/loanee. During 2006-07 the petitioner was posted as District Cooperative Officer, Khagaria and was notified as ex-officio, Certificate Officer by the Collector, Khagaria and, as such, in discharge of his official duties he issued warrant of arrest against opposite party No. 2 on failure of his appearance in the court and for non-deposit of lean amount with interest to the Bank as agreed by him according to loan agreement. The complainant was arrested on the basis of aforesaid warrant of arrest and was allowed bail later on by the court. The complainant being annoyed with the order of issuance of warrant of arrest against him filed the instant complaint case as stated above in which learned court of Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, Khagaria was pleased to take cognizance of the offence punishable under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code without obtaining sanction from the State Government as required under Section 197(1)(b) of the Cr.P.C. because the petitioner has passed the order of issuance of warrant of arrest in the capacity of certificate officer duly appointed by the District Magistrate, Khagaria while he was posted as District Cooperative Officer, Khagaria as a Gazetted Officer of the State Government.
3. In this connection learned counsel for the petitioner refers to Annexure-2, which is a letter issued by the office of the Commissioner, Munger Division, Munger, whereby the petitioner was delegated with powers under Section 3(3) of the Bihar and Orissa Public Demands and Recovery Act, 1914, of a Certificate Officer and in discharge of his official duty the warrant of arrest has been issued in Certificate Case Nos. 1/2001-02 and 2/2001-02. It is further submitted that the demand of Rs. 10,000/- per month by the petitioner to opposite party No. 2 was a false allegation and Title Suit No. 11/02 had also been filed in the Court of learned Sub-Judge-I, Khagaria against the demand made by the Bank and its officials including the petitioner, who was the then Managing Director of the Bank that due to non-sanction of full amount of loan, as claimed by him, he had suffered a loss in business. It is submitted that the two witnesses examined on solemn affirmation, who supported the case of the complainant, were either employees of opposite party No. 2 or were in close proximity of opposite party No. 2, hence, the order of cognizance without obtaining sanction of the State Government, as required under Section 197 of the Cr.P.C, is completely illegal, unjustified and abuse of the process of the court and will tantamount to miscarriage of justice. The revision case bearing Criminal Revision No. 48 of 2011 preferred by the opposite party No. 2 before the 1st Ad hoc Additional Sessions Judge, Khagaria against the order